An Everlasting Love
by everyoneisMISunderstood
Summary: True love is eternal, no matter who the people are or where they might be. Sometimes, it can transcend time and dimensions. A series of unrelated oneshots based on every possible Scoopshipping scenario, be it tragic or fluff. Formerly titled Magnets.
1. Opposites Attract

**(A/N) Right, so I've never written for 5D's before. Actually, this is the first time I've written for a category that wasn't a book… So I really hope I don't screw anything up! **

**If any of this is tainted by something from the dubbed version, my apologies. I've only seen episode 59 undubbed because the way I discovered my love for this couple was because I sit and watch the dubbed version with my brother while eating breakfast.**

**This is the first chapter, and it's mostly just describing Jack and Carly's relationship and it could be considered AU. This story is going to be pretty low on my priority list seeing as I've got other stuff that I should be writing.**

Opposites attract. It's basic science, something even young children know. If you place two magnets next to each other, one end positively charged and the other end negatively charged; the two will unite. If the magnets are strong enough, they will never be separated.

Carly was without a doubt positively charged. She wanted the best for everyone, and she had a good heart even if she herself didn't realize it yet. People couldn't usually tell since she hid behind those ridiculous glasses, but Carly always had a twinkle in her eyes.

Jack was indefinitely negatively charged. He used to hurt others, but more than just that, he _enjoyed_ hurting others. He lived for no one but himself. A permanent scowl was always etched on Jack's face.

However, the two together… well that was interesting. They sort of balanced each other out. Carly, who had no cares in the world, suddenly became pensive as she wondered why Jack always had a sour expression on his face. And then there was Jack, who found himself putting someone else first.

That's not to say they lost their personalities, the qualities that made them who they were. Carly was still clumsy and she still got excited over stuff that honestly wasn't that great. She ran all over the place acting like the spazz that she was, but when she saw Jack wasn't having as much fun, she sobered up. And of course, Jack was still pessimistic and Jack was still mean, but not in a spiteful way. He was mean in a "You're so amusing I can't help but tease you" kind of way.

She was crazy about him. Carly never bothered to deny it. She didn't bother trying to conceal the way her heart beat a little faster when she saw him, or that she thought the way he carried himself was ridiculously attractive.

Jack pretended like he didn't care for her as anything more than a friend. He always told himself that she was too happy and carefree to deal with all of his troubles. But really, what he meant by that, was that he knew she was too good for him.

But then, everything changed. You could say that their polarities were reversed. Suddenly, he was the one saving her and she was the one who was determined that she didn't need to be saved. She was a Dark Signer, and he was the one destined to bring her and her kind down.

Her laugh used to be endearingly dorky. Then suddenly, it became full of malice. Jack didn't like to see that, in fact, Jack _detested_ seeing her hurting. But the worst part was that she didn't even know she was suffering.

At least, she didn't realize it until he told her how he really felt about her. When he told her she was the only one he truly loved, he got through to her. He didn't realize it, but Carly had been waiting to hear those words for a long time.

It sucked that once everything was out in the open, Carly had to die. When Jack held her, he couldn't help but acknowledge how unfair the situation was. The only girl he'd ever given his heart to was snatched away from him cruelly.

Jack thought bitterly on her death and their separation. Death was too strong of a barrier to breach. And if one of them had to die, it should have been him, not the innocent girl who was caught in the wrong time at the wrong place.

However, Carly thought otherwise. Jack had to stay alive to save the world; he had to stay alive because he was _Jack._ If he would have stopped his heart from hardening, he would have realized that Carly would _never_ leave him and that they'd be together someday.

And they would. Someday, the two would be reunited. But this time, they wouldn't be separated because after all, you can't fight science.

**(A/N) I'm not sure if I like the way I executed this, it's pretty short =/ **

**If anyone wants to recommend something for the next chapter, feel free to, but if it revolves around a particular episode, you're going to have to tell me the episode so I can YouTube the undubbed version.**


	2. Someone to Duel For

**(A/N) Hello everyone **** This one is based off a scene in the dub in episode 44(please, don't kill me! I did watch the original version as well, but I found for this particular circumstance the dub was better and easier to write about). The scene will be replayed briefly so you guys will see what I'm talking about :P**

**By the way, Carly and Jack are my two favorite characters in all of Yu-Gi-Oh (and of course, I love Kaiba) so if I'm portraying them as cooler and epic-er than they are, my apologies!**

The sun was disturbingly bright to Jack Atlas. He was lounging on the roof not to become more frustrated and annoyed, but to become more relaxed. He always had a habit of seeking out higher places when he was feeling down.

What brought on this particular bout of despair? Not the former self-pity, but surprisingly enough, concern for another human being. Scowling lightly, he pulled the frames out of his pocket. The left lens was cracked in some places with small fragments of glass missing. But still, they reminded him of her, and the young blonde man winced, hoping she was in better shape than her familiar glasses.

_Carly…_ The name echoed in his head and he could sense his brow crinkle like it always did when feeling pensive. _I'm gonna find you._ It was a silent vow, one that he meant with all his heart and soul. He wouldn't rest if he didn't know that she was alright. And if it turned out she wasn't -

"Jack?" The man fought to keep a glare off his face as he heard Mikage's heels click up the steps. The blue-haired woman let out a sigh of relief as she continued, "What are you doing all the way up here?"

Although it was evident that she was merely concerned about who she thought was the love of her life, she was more than a tad annoying. So naturally, Jack snapped at her, "Is it too much to ask for some alone time?"

The woman's gaze fell upon the object lying in Jack's hand. She tried her best not to be overwhelmed with jealousy as she realized what they were. _Carly's glasses…_ She'd known Jack far longer than that reporter and he never expressed the slightest amount of affection for the golden eyed female.

But Mikage couldn't even insult her. Carly didn't do anything wrong. Something about the way she tripped and stumbled was endearing, even to the woman who could be considered her competition.

Jack stared at the woman, wishing he could wipe the disdain and hurt off her face. Not thinking, Jack angrily shot at her, "What's the matter? Can't I have someone to duel for?"

She then proceeded to tell Jack that something very important was happening, and he tried to shake his annoyance and focus on the matter at hand._**

* * *

**_

As Jack sped along, he couldn't help but recall his earlier words exchanged with Mikage. He realized that's what Carly was to him, someone to duel for.

Was he dueling for her simply to find her, dead or alive? Or was he dueling for her because she was… something to him? He tried not to think about it, but the same questions kept reforming in his brain, pestering him like an irritated mosquito bite; just when you think it's gone away, it starts itching again.

He couldn't help but recall the day when they went to the amusement park. Truth being told, he thought they were highly overrated. Then he overheard Carly talking with another reporter and he smirked. She thought it was her fault that he was upset, as if _the _Jack Atlas could be offended by some silly girl. His sardonic smile broadened. She was rather stupid, but in a Carly sort of way.

To the normal person, Carly wouldn't be considered pretty. Most people would think she was odd just by looking at those… things that covered her eyes. But Jack found that after awhile, the glasses grew on him, and he realized that they really characterized who she was as a person. If Carly didn't wear her glasses, she'd be quite beautiful but not herself, attractive yes, but she wouldn't be the girl Jack respected.

Jack thought about the way girls had a tendency to chase after him. Girls he didn't even know had proposed to him before. He remembered when he went out in public with Carly the way she stiffened slightly whenever a girl would giggle at him when he walked by. She'd frown and mutter something with flushed cheeks.

Would he be jealous if some guy ever hit on Carly? Jack chuckled. That wouldn't happen; she wasn't the type that'd attract that much attention from men. But _if_ she did get hit on… Jack's jaw twitched.

Somehow he managed to convince himself he'd only be mad if the guy was a real jerk. And if the guy was too happy with his hands… Jack felt anger surge through him as he gripped the wheel tightly, trying to calm down. He couldn't help but acknowledge how pathetic it was that he let himself get worked up over something that never even happened.

She was so… kind. Why did she have to be so innocent? Why did it have to be her that was taken away?

Or was she taken away?

Was Carly dead?

The question haunted him and he tried not to let it bother him too much. After all, he didn't need anyone. People would only tie you down and being with other people didn't do anything for you.

At least, that used to be Jack's life philosophy. No one can help you, so live for yourself. But now he had someone that he was fighting for. Jack found himself pushing to the very limits of his abilities to save Carly.

Why was she so important to him? She had faith in him at his lowest point. He was all banged up, lying in the hospital, and she cheered him on and helped him duel. Not that he needed help; it was just kinda nice that someone would give him a hand when he was in a rut.

Even when he treated her poorly, she encouraged him and told him he could change and make a difference in this world. She believed in him in every sense of the word.

But Jack would still be Jack. He's still make fun of her once he found her, and he'd always be prideful and he'd always want to put himself first. However, despite what he might want, he knew that he'd do everything in his power as a Signer to protect Carly because she _deserved_ to be safe.

_Carly, I swear on my _life _that I _will_ find you. I won't rest until I do._ With newfound determination, Jack grimly stared ahead, bracing himself for the worst.

**(A/N) I'd love it if I could get some reviews ;)**


	3. The Dream

**(A/N) Hello everyone **** I'm back from Disney World, and I'm on break for summer so I should be updating pretty much daily. So this is kind of a mixture of two requests I got. One was from my friend **_**I LOVE JACK ATLAS**_** who wanted me to write about when Carly remembered being a Dark Signer. The other part was a request from **_**DarkMGN**_** for a reunion which is included but very briefly.**

The dream was so vivid, she couldn't be sure if it _was_ a dream. She was riding on something very fast, shouting things she never thought she'd say to anyone. Blood was dripping down his face, and he was shouting at her, telling her she wasn't acting like the Carly he knew.

They were dueling. And the scary part was… she was winning. She was going to do _something_ terrible to him if she won. And it only took her a few seconds to realize what was going on. She was a Dark Signer.

She knew that, yes. Everyone told her, but no one would give her any details. And Carly stupidly assumed she couldn't have done anything that terrible, after all, she _was_ still Carly.

But she was a monster. And she didn't even hear it from the one person she wanted to hear it from, she found out from a dream.

Carly couldn't even refer to it as a dream; it was indefinitely a nightmare. But something in Carly was whispering that it wasn't just something her brain thought up. But she had to hold onto the tiny hope that it was just something her brain invented to entertain her while she slept. If she really did those things...

Of course, the only part… the only part that couldn't be real was so impossibly good; it had to be a dream. There was just no possible way that _he_ would ever say that to _her._ It just wasn't even fathomable.

And then she died. In her dream she died. And it felt so real, she could imagine her body crumpling and fading into oblivion. She screamed.

Carly always thought that was so stupid, so fake when people screamed in movies and in dreams. But now she got it. She understood how someone could be so utterly terrified and bewildered that they would shout in horror while waking up.

She sat up and reached around blindly for her glasses. She could see the lenses on her glasses fogging up as her eyes got misty. However, Carly was determined not to cry. She was not going to cry over some silly nightmare. But she knew she couldn't go back to sleep.

So what did Carly do? She did the only thing she could. She called the only person who could maybe explain this phenomenon to her. And that person was not happy.

Jack was sleeping, peacefully for once. No nightmares, no nothing. Just a voice of calm nothingness. And then, the stupid phone rang. His eyes snapped open and he groped around the nightstand to find his phone. He looked at his caller ID, surprised to see why was calling. "Carly what…? Why are you calling?" He glanced at the clock and grew more cross as he half-shouted, "It's two in the morning!" And even though it was the only person he'd even consider picking up for, he was mad.

The girl flinched away from the phone. He was so angry. The tears came back. The stress of her dream was bad enough, and now Jack was yelling at her. "Never mind." She whispered. Maybe she could call Aki, or maybe even Crow or Yusei.

She was about to press the red button and end the phone call when he asked, "Carly?" When she didn't answer, Jack sighed and grudgingly said, "Sorry."

"Are you alright?"

He was genuinely concerned. The defeat in her voice, the hurt, the _fear…_ It was enough to trouble Jack deeply, and it was just enough to momentarily wipe away his anger.

"I don't… I'm not sure," Carly mumbled into the phone.

Jack climbed out of his bed before digging around in his closet to find his usual flamboyant ensemble. "Where are you?" He demanded into the phone. "Are you at home?"

"Yes."

Jack was heading out the door when he told her, "I'll be there in half an hour." Now, legally, Jack would only be able to get there in an hour… but rules (and laws) were meant to be broken.

Carly sat numbly on her bed before putting on her usual clothes. She tugged her striped shirt over her head and shifted her orange jacket into place. The whole time, her mind was empty, no thoughts dared to enter her mind. She sat back down on her bed and stared blankly at the wall.

Jack got to Carly's home and pulled the key out of his pocket. He saved it from the days when he was staying with her. Slowly, he unlocked the door. He stepped inside and took in the familiar surroundings before calling out for his friend.

She fumbled down the steps and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him. "Jack!" Carly ran forward and hugged him. His arms moved up automatically to return her embrace.

"Well?" He eventually asked her. He tried not to sound too impatient as he questioned, "What was so important that it couldn't wait until morning?"

Carly pulled away, and Jack couldn't help but acknowledge how much colder he felt with the absence of her body heat. She glanced around nervously. She felt that if she talked about it in her home, her dream would come alive again and swallow her. She'd be lost in that darkness, that terrible evil.

Jack watched uncomfortably as her face flashed through a wide range of expressions. Worry, sorrow, pain. Terror. So when Carly murmured, "Can we go somewhere?" Jack began walking toward Carly's door without a word of protest. She followed.

He led her out to his Duel Runner before helping Carly onto the vehicle. She saw what she'd be riding on and winced, recalling her dream once more. Thankfully, she was distracted with Jack's maniac driving. "Um, please don't get us killed."

Jack laughed. "If I can do this while dueling, I'm quite certain we're safe. The worst that could happen is a run in with… well, never mind. We'll be fine," he crooked a smile, and Carly almost felt okay.

He found his favorite café which was thankfully open twenty-four hours. He drove into the parking lot before helping Carly dismantle.

The two walked in silence into the tiny café. A pretty lady seated them, and then Jack fixated a piercing stare on Carly. "So. What's… wrong?"

He felt uncomfortable. How were you even supposed to start this kind of conversation? He'd never been good with words, or people in general. He wasn't a comforting person. Why she called him, he had no clue. But Jack promised himself he'd try to be kind for her sake.

Carly looked down at her hands. She too, felt odd. And of course, Jack's interrogator-like stare was not helping her feel at ease. "I had a dream."

"You woke me up over a night mare?" Jack interrogated incredulously. So much for his promise.

Carly didn't wince. She didn't do anything except calmly ask, "What was I? Where was I? _What happened_?"

He shook his head, knowing instantly what she was talking about. He didn't know how she got on this topic, but he knew he couldn't bring himself to tell her. If she knew… Sweet, innocent Carly finding out what she'd done… he couldn't bear to think how she'd react. "Remember what I told you earlier? I know you do."

* * *

Jack was dazed. She was alive. She was trying to get inside her house, wondering where she left her spare key. "Was it under the doormat? Oh, no, that's too obvious, even for me…"

"Carly." Jack said quietly, his voice almost wondering. Jack smiled. For the first time in a long time, he truly smiled. He _beamed._

She looked at him and grinned. She had no idea why he was looking at her like that, but she wasn't going to complain. "Jack, do you remember where I left the key?" She grew serious. No one else would tell her, so maybe Jack would. "More importantly, do you remember what I was like as a Dark Signer? My boss would give me the mega promotion of the century if I would tell him—"

"No. I can't tell you, Carly."

Carly immediately began to protest. But when she saw the look on his face, she stopped. "Carly, what's the last thing you remember?"

She frowned. Her brow crinkled as she pondered the question. "I… I fell." Carly concentrated, but all she could remember was, well, nothing.

Jack grimaced. So she didn't remember his confession. But that was okay, that also meant she didn't know about the things she did. If she knew, Carly wouldn't even forgive herself, even if Jack already did. It was just the kind of person she was.

He made a decision. When the time was right, she would know. "Someday you'll find out. When Fate wishes it, you'll know."

Funny that once she was the one, badgering him and shoving Fate down his throat. And now the tables had turned.

She debated arguing again, but she knew Jack, and she knew he wouldn't say a word. So she gave up and asked him about the key again. To her relief, he at least answered that question.

* * *

"Jack. Jack? Jack!" Carly snapped, trying to bring him back to the present. He focused on her, and she breathed in deeply, bracing herself. "I was a monster. We dueled, and oh, God." She froze, the scenes flashing before her.

The man froze for a second before putting forth a somewhat relaxed facial expression, "You're not a monster!" He protested, almost angrily. Finally he voiced the one question that kept resurfacing, "How did you remember?"

Carly ignored him and gripped the table, "But… wait! So my dream, it wasn't really a dream? I mean, I thought it was real… but I didn't want it to be."

And then it happened, the one thing Jack couldn't face. She began to sniffle, and tried to hide her face. Carly cried. How was he supposed to comfort her? Jack's thoughts were reeling. Sobs racked her body, and Jack wanted to turn away because it was so hard to watch. Slowly, he placed a hand on her waist and pulled her head on his shoulder.

He touched her hair, and there were so many things he could have said, there was so many things he _wanted_ to say. But then, of course, some waitress had to interrupt. "Aren't you—"

"Busy? Clearly preoccupied? Why, yes, I am! Now go away!' Jack normally loved hero worship. But right then, he had a hysterical girl to take care of. He had a hysterical _Carly_ to take care of.

The waitress walked away, offering dozens of apologies that Jack didn't want. What he wanted was for this girl to stop crying.

When she pulled away, she was 100% mortified. Carly wiped her nose on her sleeve without realizing or caring how gross that was. "Er, sorry." Crying in front of Jack, now that was something she'd beat herself up over. Along with the harsh words flung at him and the other things she did to him.

"Why are you upset?" Jack asked, feeling and sounding bewildered.

Carly paused. Finally she managed, "All the people I might have hurt. It was all my fault. And, Jack…" She struggled with keeping her composure in check. "Jack, what I did to _you_, it was awful. I made you bleed. I said horrible,_ horrible_ things to you. I'm so sorry." Her voice cracked on the last sentence.

Jack frowned. He wasn't angry, he was simply pensive. He also wanted to wipe away the look of shame and pain on Carly's face. "You might have done those things. But Carly, you saved my life."

Startled, Carly asked, "What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember? In our duel… I was going to kill you. But I wasn't planning on letting you die alone." Jack smiled coldly, waiting for his words to settle in. "You saved me."

But she did remember. However, she didn't know that that part was real. She stared, and stared, and stared. "Why?" She finally asked.

"Stupid Girl." Jack muttered.

Carly glared from behind her glasses. "Hey, it was a good question! And don't call me stupid."

Jack scowled once more. "Why am I with you at some café at 2 A.M? Why haven't I _left_ yet? Why do I do half the things I do nowadays? Don't you remember _that_ part of your dream?"

With those amethyst eyes boring into her gray ones, she flushed as she recalled what he was talking about.

"_Carly, listen!" Jack was shouting to her. "I used to be a person who didn't care about others. I betrayed my friends and enjoyed hurting others. I'm a man who sacrificed others for my own gains!" It was hard for him to admit all this to her, but he knew it had to be done. "But I learned something from you. Even a wounded heart can be saved by someone who truly cares… Right now, I'm betting everything within my heart and wishing!" The words flew off his tongue so easily. "I want to save you, the one I truly love!" _

"Carly…" Jack whispered, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. "You remember, don't you?"

She was red all over. _Jack_ loved _her_? It was unbelievable. He smirked and said, "Look at you, turning into another one of my fangirls." Carly's jaw dropped. He couldn't be serious. What a great time for Jack's ego to kick in… "Want an autograph?"

Though the moment might have been over, a bit of the tenderness in Jack's eyes remained. But still, Carly spazzed out. She tried to hit him, but he evaded her and she fell out of her seat. Literally. He chuckled before helping her and growing serious again. "Promise me. Don't ever put yourself in that kind of danger again. _Ever._"

"I… promise." She was desperate to change the subject, so she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "So, I'm kinda off topic, but I'm hungry! Do you think you scared off that waitress to the point of no return?"

Jack rolled his eyes at her. Leave it to Carly to completely break the tension using food. Of course, Jack could always use a cup of ramen… He lifted a hang, and within seconds the waitress was at their table worshiping him.

For the rest of their time there, they were just good friends. Carly and Jack decided in unspoken words to meet there once a week.

_All because of a dream…_ Carly thought to herself. She was pressed against Jack, and he was driving her home again. _All because of a dream we're… together. We might not act like it all the time, but we don't have to. Maybe my dream wasn't such a nightmare after all!_

**(A/N) Reviews are loved! **


	4. A Privilege Once Lost

**(A/N) Well, this one is going to be pretty sad. So if you don't like that, I would recommend not reading past this. I do feel bad doing this to two of my favorite characters, but I feel like I have to write this to develop my writing skills further.**

**By the way, I strongly recommend you actually read the lyrics at the beginning. You probably won't get the story as well if you do. It's called "Broken" by Lifehouse.**

**Jack POV**

_I'm falling apart… I'm barely breathing_

_With a broken heart._

_That's still beating._

_In the pain, is there healing?_

_In your name… I find meaning._

I can't cry. It's something that has baffled me, and I'm sure it's baffled other people that know me, but it's true. I have lost the ability, lost the _privilege_ to cry.

So many bad things happened to me, that maybe I just got used to it and nothing hurts. Maybe I'm so closed off to everything that I can't cry. I just didn't care anymore. At least I didn't until I met her.

You don't know what it's like. To have so much pain in your heart that you want to scream, that you just want to rip out your soul and you'd rather be a blob of utter nothingness then feel the hurt I've felt. And I couldn't do it. I couldn't even let myself feel better, because I hate myself that much.

At least, I used to hate myself that much. Then I found her. She saved me, in more ways then one.

I seem prideful. I seem arrogant. But deep down, I'm not. I care about people. Maybe I'm just so caring that I act like I'm not so I won't care so much.

Or maybe I'm just crazy. Because right now, it feels like I am.

Even if I don't care about anyone, I care about her. I love her. More than my own life.

"Jack," She whispers attempting to smile. But all I can see is all the blood, the blood she shed for _me_. To keep the assassin from getting me.

The lenses were cracked, just like last time. The wave of nostalgia hit me so hard, I almost crumple to the floor. Because now I am feeling the pain from last time, and this time. It is too much. Far too much…

"Carly." I say, trying not to lose it. I try to be strong for her, for her last moment on earth. "Can't you stay?"

It was bad enough the first time. But the first time, I had a shred of hope. This time, I know she'll never be back. She will never _ever_ come back to me. That's why it's so much worse this time. "No, Jack," She murmurs, eyes glittering with tears. "I love you. Forever."

"No! Don't leave! I _need_ you." I was so desperate; I would do anything to keep her with me. Anything.

Carly cries but she is smiling. "I can see it. I see heaven. Oh, Jack. It's so beautiful." She smiles that teary smile once more. "I know you'll be there someday." She somehow manages to stay cheerful, and it isn't some fake persona. "We'll be together forever."

"You shouldn't have taken the bullet for me. It should be the other way around." I'm so bitter, and I know I'll be this way forever.

She gasps, and I see the pain hit her again. Seeing her hurt, somehow it makes me feel even worse. And I didn't think that was even possible. "Please don't be sad. I want to see the Jack I know. The Jack you are." She smiles at me again.

She blinks, and I see the small droplet of water lying on her glasses.

I thought I couldn't cry. I thought wrong.

"Don't cry for me. I'm not worth it." She tries to sit up, hand trembling. To wipe my tears.

Crying. It feels good, but in a strange kind of way. I never knew what it was like, and I wish I never had to find out this way. But I still hurt. I hurt more than anyone can even imagine. How can you hurt and feel better at the same time?

"You're worth _everything._ And I'm going with you this time." I look for the gun that killed Carly. The gun I aimed at her murderer.

She shakes her head weakly. "You can't. Please, Jack. Please. Please." She begs, distress settling in her eyes. "Oh…" She moans in pain, clutching the side where she got shot.

My eyes dry. "I love you." I whispered. Laying down next to her, I wrap my arms around her, and she sighs.

Carly murmurs, "I love you, too. You'll be okay. Promise…" I kiss her hair, wondering once more why it had to happen to her.

And I feel it. It rips through me and I know Carly is gone. Forever. An eternity of living with a broken heart.

And just like that, my tears start again. And they don't stop. I wonder if they ever will. I clutch Carly desperately, ignoring the sound of sirens and my friends' cries.

"Is that… Carly?" Crow. Yes it is, you idiot. You moron, why did you have to say her name?

"Is everything okay?" Yusei. No. No it's not. It never will be.

"He's crying." A shocked Aki.

"SHUT UP!" I thunder. Or at least, I try to thunder. But it came out as a whisper, the whisper of a defeated man. And they did. They stay with me, but they don't talk.

I cry. I keep crying. And to think I thought I lost the privilege.

_So I'm holding on  
(I'm still holding)  
I'm holding on  
(I'm still holding)  
I'm holding on  
(I'm still holding)  
I'm barely holding on to you_

_I'm hanging on another day…_

**(A/N) That was… interesting to write. It was hard, but it was so easy at the same time. I promise the next one is going to be full of fluff, if you guys want. Just… don't kill me.**

**If my writing seemed less than stellar (which it does, I know that) it's because I re-read it so I could add more detail, polish it up a bit. But I feel like it's more emotional and more real this way, so I didn't touch it. Also, sorry it's so short.**_  
_


	5. I Want My Heart Back

**(A/N) My boyfriend just dumped me really, REALLY meanly (I saw it coming for weeks) so I wrote this as therapy. Thank you to **_**Emmi Fireworks**_** for helping me when I was feeling pretty sad, you're a great online buddy :)**

**Btw, this is based on the DUB version of the beginning of episode 37. And I know, this is just writing out a scene, nothing special. I don't care if you hate on this chapter, and I don't care if you were expecting something more than what it was. I wrote this for ****myself**** and I figured I might as well post it.**

_Why do men have to be so stupid? _She asked herself angrily, water pooling in her eyes and threatening to spill over. _And why do I never run out of tears? I've been crying so much I would have thought my eyes would eventually run dry…_

Her phone had been ringing constantly, but it was like an irritating buzz of an insect. She ignored it, until finally the person left a message. She tried to swallow her hope that it might be _him._

She picked up her head and sighed.

Her boss (another stupid man, but not the one she wanted to hear from) had disturbed her. She was busy, wallowing in self pity and remorse when he decided to damped her spirits further. He was screaming at her, telling her she wasn't a real reporter. And usually, her boss's unkind words would be enough to send her into a frenzy, but she just didn't care.

Carly didn't care about anything at that moment. She felt so much pain, she should have gone numb. And going numb would have been a tremendous blessing. It was so unlike her to let some _idiot_ make her so sad, but it didn't matter.

Because Carly finally got it. She was… enlightened. She finally understood what the word "heartbreak" really meant.

The dark haired girl was always obsessed with romance novels, though she'd never tell anyone. When she'd read about the way a perfect couple was torn apart, she always thought "Oh, sure, that's really sad." But it would always be okay because somehow, love would find a way to work out all their problems.

However, in real life it doesn't work that way. The only thing she got out of the overrated emotion was pain.

Lots and lots of pain inflicted by Jack Atlas.

* * *

"You should go now." He told her, voice completely flat.

Her jaw dropped and she exclaimed, "Go?"

Carly looked up at Jack's face, observing it. She couldn't find any emotion to betray him; even those amethyst eyes that were usually smoldering with some sort of feeling were totally blank. His handsome face was so _empty._

He glared at her and spoke as though talking to a child. "I have bad guys to take care of."

She rolled her eyes, knowing then that he must be joking. There was no way she was leaving, not now that she knew part of this legend; she had to know the end of it. It would be cruel to tantalize her with part of the truth and leave the rest of it out. She almost smiled because she knew even Jack wouldn't be that mean. At least, hopefully he wouldn't… not to her. "And I have to get my story. Just let me take a pict—"

She watched helplessly as he snatched her camera out of her hands. A surge of rage and shock blazed through her mind as he ejected the memory card and snapped it in two. Did he not know how expensive those were? She stuttered angrily, "Wha-what?"

Jack stared her down with seriousness creeping onto his strong facial features, but as he spoke to her in that same condescending tone, the serious look turned to harshness. "Stop going down this path, Carly. It's deeper and darker than you can possibly know. And it's going to get real dangerous," He finished snidely.

She couldn't believe he was acting like this. He couldn't seriously been treating her this way, after everything she did for him. "But," She began to plead with him, knowing how desperate she must sound, "I need a scoop! My whole future depends on it!"

He turned away, and she wanted to shout at him to turn around. If he was going to be so cruel he should at least have the decency to be mean to her face. "Look, when this is over I'll spill it all. But for now, just stay out of it."

She almost flinched at the venom in his voice. Carly thought that he'd finally started to respect her, and she felt like they just lost any and all progress they might have made.

Hand trembling slightly, she stepped forward before stopping. Sure, she was mad about not getting her story, but what hurt more was that he seemed to do this so _easily_. Like she was dispensable. Like she didn't matter. "Don't you want me around?" She asked him, dreading the answer.

Jack was already walking away with the blue haired woman Carly had come to dislike. But he stopped moving as he replied snidely, "Paparazzi?" When he picked up again, the disgust in his tone was evident. "No thanks."

Her eyes began to burn, and her vision blurred slightly. "That was cold." She stated, not sure if she wanted him to hear or not.

_Then again, even if he did hear, he probably wouldn't care. Paparazzi. That's all you ever were to him._ Carly thought to herself bitterly.

* * *

She sobbed quietly, the pain tearing through her. How many times had she replayed that scene over the last twelve hours? It just wouldn't leave her mind, and when she closed her eyes, she saw that accusing stare.

Carly never thought it would hurt so badly. She never knew he'd torment her that way… just the thought of him sent a volley of emotions rushing through her. Anger, sadness, _love. _How could she still love him? After what he said, _how could she love him_?

"How can I tell him it's not just about the story anymore?" She asked the open air. More importantly, did she want to tell him? She shook her head, feeling torn.

When she buried her head in her arms, she didn't think she'd start going insane. But she heard him softly whisper her name, _Carly…_

She picked up her head once more, and she swore she saw him there. But she knew it wasn't real, just her mind deceiving her, trying to convince her it was okay and she didn't need to hurt anymore. "Go away." She told the illusion firmly.

Tilting her head toward the window, she wondered when—There he was again. "Go away!" She exclaimed in the direction of the fake Jack, pretending the resemblance was the real deal.

Everywhere she looked, she saw him. Finally, she had enough. She ran up to kitchen counter and shouted, "I want it all back!" For a second, she could imagine he was there and that maybe her words could possibly hurt him the way he hurt her. "I want the money I spent on your disguise, and I want the time I spent trying to cheer you up!"

She paused slightly, knowing there was more to yell out before raging on to no one, "And-and… I want the flirty looks I gave you back!" What was the point? He was too hung up on himself and the rest of the world to worry about one girl, especially not Carly. If she couldn't get a guy to dance with her at prom, why would she think someone like him would feel that way about her?

Carly choked out, "And I want my heart back! I want it to not be so broken…" Carly's voice dropped steadily as she said the last bit. She was shaking, but somehow, she felt better.

And she realized something. _Her whole world did not revolve around Jack._ He was a huge part of her life, and he changed her. She'd probably always love him, but that didn't mean her life had to end when he left.

She'd grow from this. She was going after her story, regardless of what Jack Atlas wanted. After all, she didn't want him to rip her heart in two, but he did it anyway. And he didn't even care.

If he really cared, he would have stayed. He wouldn't have left her, broken and alone. _Forget Jack Atlas. I don't need him._

She loved him, but she didn't need him. She wanted him back, but she didn't need him.

She put on the cruelest facial expression she could muster before making a decision that would change everything…

**(A/N) I feel so much better now =^.^= **

**I promise PROMISE that the next one will be fluffy! Really! I just need ideas!**


	6. The Shopping Trip of Death

**(A/N) This is my third time trying to write this chapter. I'm really not very good at writing fluff… I tried two other ideas and they really didn't work, so if you noticed that I uploaded a chapter and deleted it, it's because I really didn't like it. Oh well, third time's the charm!**

"Alright, Jack. I've made a decision."

The announcement caught him by surprise. He hadn't been doing anything wrong, he was just sitting on the couch channel surfing. "About what?" He asked her absently.

Carly walked over to him and plopped down on the couch. She snatched the remote out of his hand and turned off the TV despite her boyfriend's protests. "You're coming with me to the grocery store."

He stared at her before inquiring slowly, "You're joking right?"

"Nope!" She smiled gleefully at his horrified expression. He could handle saving the world, but mention shopping and he gets scared.

Jack shook his head before saying, "I don't think I heard you right. I'm going shopping with you?" When she nodded, Jack protested, "Why do you need me there?"

She laughed and told him, "I don't really need you there. I just want you there. After all, someday we're going to run out of food when I'm not here and you won't have any idea what to shop for at the supermarket."

Now it was Jack's turn to laugh. "Like I don't know how to go shopping!"

Carly lifted an eyebrow before reminding him, "Jack, you didn't know how to ride the monorail…"

"That's completely irrelevant."

"I bet you don't know how to get a taxi either!" She teased him. When he turned his head away, she knew she was right and she giggled slightly. "Oh come on, it's okay. Now let's go, don't bother arguing anymore. It'll be fun!"

Jack stared at her flatly before asking, "Don't you remember?" Her eyebrows knit together slightly, wondering if she forgot something important. However, she rolled her eyes as he informed her, "I hate fun."

She sighed before pulling him on the arm and literally dragging him out the door. "Let's go!"

"I really don't like this."

* * *

"What's 'produce'?" Jack looked around the store, eyes flickering over each sign. But he didn't see "produce" written on any of them.

Carly had a lot of self control. See, if she had any less, she probably would have said, "I told you so," but she was more mature than that. So instead she told him patiently, "It's the vegetables and fruit and stuff."

Jack grimaced, "Well, that's stupid."

She shrugged and led him to the apples. "Can you get me a bag?" When Jack agreed, she began to select the apples. Carly had always been really picky about choosing her fruit, she hated eating things that were bruised and misshapen.

She was just about done when Jack walked up to her, carrying a huge sparkly purple purse. "Um, I meant those ones." She said, pointing at the plastic bags provided on the rack.

"Well how was I supposed to know?" He asked indignantly, wondering once again why he was there. Was she just trying to embarrass him or something?

Carly shook her head, lips pulling upward in a grin. "Aren't you glad you came now?"

"No!" He replied. Jack frowned before staring at the glittery thing in his hand. "Maybe I should go give this back to that old woman…"

Carly's smile dropped as she exclaimed, "You stole that from someone!"

Jack eyed her like she was crazy. "Would I steal from an old lady? That's something Crow would do. No, she just offered it when I asked for her help."

"Wow. She must have been crazy. Who gives their purse to some random twenty year old guy?"

Jack shrugged before wandering off to return the bag. Carly walked down the aisles, picking up random things along the way. She was inspecting a box of Ritz crackers when she heard someone scream, "Ohmigawd! It's _Jack Atlas!_"

"Oh great…" She mumbled before running off in the direction of the scream. Carly was used to this sort of thing by now. However, she didn't think Jack would have any fangirls shopping for food.

There, in the middle of the bread lane was Jack looking terribly bewildered. He shot her a look that said, "If you don't help me, I'm going to kill one of these girls."

"Excuse me, sorry. Trying to get through." Carly shoved her way through the crowd of people.

At one point, a very buff teenager turned to her and cracked her knuckles threateningly. "We all want to see Jack. But you have to wait just like everyone else." Carly gulped and slipped under the girl's swung fist.

"This isn't Jack Atlas! See, my cousin," She faltered as she tried to recall her old pseudonym for him, "My cousin Ralph here has this obsession with Jack Atlas. He dresses like him, he talks like him, he acts like him." She dropped her voice and whispered theatrically, "He's a little… crazy."

Instantly murmurs of understand went up through the crowd and Carly motions at Jack to get up. "Now, let's go, _Ralph_, we have more shopping to take care of."

Jack stood up and the throng of people parted, not wanting to be near Ralph the Psycho. "Did you really have to tell them I was crazy?"

Carly glared at him and put her hands on her hips. "Why? It's not as if it matters what they think of you, unless you're interested in any of them…"

Jack frowned and grumbled something under his breath before directing at Carly, "Of course not. Why would I be?"

She smiled at him warmly, her jealousy evaporating. She leaned up and pecked him on the cheek. "Good. Because I almost got beat up trying to rescue you." She whacked him lightly on the arm.

He mumbled something under his breath about how confusing she was.

The couple continued on to the soup aisle. Jack stared at the pyramid of soup cans before reaching over and taking one from the bottom. _Crash!_

"Jack?" Carly cried when she saw all the soup cans rolling on the floor. "What did you do?"

Jack frowned at the nearest can which happened to be Campbell's Chicken Noodle as though his eyes would make it stop moving. "It was on the list, so I grabbed one."

She didn't say anything, just started walking. And of course, she slipped on the rounded metal. "AH!" She shouted, sliding all over, trying to regain her balance.

"Carly?" Jack mimicked. "What did you do?"

Her arms were waving all over the place until finally, she just gave up and started falling. Two arms steadied her and she mumbled her thanks. She pulled away, blushing, trying to regain some of her dignity.

The two of them finished shopping without any more catastrophes, aside from Jack still getting weird looks from people in the store. They started to look at the check out lanes, but they all seemed to look a little scared of Jack. "I think I've earned a reputation here."

"Maybe we should do self-checkout to avoid stirring up too much trouble." When Jack agreed that this was a good idea, they headed over to the empty scanner.

About five minutes later, they had to flag down help from another cashier. "Hello," She said, sounding bored. "How can I help you?"

Carly placed a bunch of bananas in the woman's hands. "Um, these bananas aren't cooperating."

The woman blew a huge bubble with her gum before it snapped loudly. Carly blinked and the lady said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Dealing with banana mischief is not my job."

Carly slid her eyes over to Jack who was wearing a "WTF?" look. "Are you serious? Just scan the bananas!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Dealing with unruly customers is not my job."

"Yes it is!" At this point, Jack looked like he might hit her with the fruit. Jack ranted loudly, "Do you know who-"

Carly waved her arms in front of his face. "Now, now, Ralph, that's enough!" Turning to the cashier, she said, "But I would appreciate some help with these bananas, Miss…" She squinted to read the nametag, "Miss Flanza."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Dealing with—"

"Just forget it!" Jack interrupted. He turned a seething glare on her and said, "I'll figure it out on my own!"

* * *

Carly was staring at Jack. "How did you manage to get us kicked out of the grocery store on _your first time_?"

"I didn't get us kicked out!" He explained. "They just asked us to leave."

The female groaned and told him, "I'm never taking you anywhere again." But she smiled when she said it.

**(A/N) I made a few references to episodes 29 and 31 from the dub. I don't own them.**

**Flanza will love you forever if you review! :D**


	7. Slideshow

**(A/N) This one isn't as focused on Jack and Carly's relationship, but it is mentioned. I made a few references to episodes 29 and 31 (Seeing as they're the only two episodes with canon Jack/Carly in it), both the dub and original, so my apologies if that gets confusing.**

You know how they say when you're going to die your life is supposed to flash before your eyes? Well, apparently there is one cliché phrase in the world that is actually true. Because when I fell out that window, a slideshow of my life started unfolding in front of me.

As I passed the thirtieth floor, I wondered how this could happen to me. I didn't kill anyone, so why did my life have to be cut so short? How could the universe let Divine kill me like this?

As I passed the twenty-ninth floor, I wondered if heaven and hell really existed. Which would I be sentenced to? A life of happiness and beauty, or would I be sent to a place where flames burned angrily for an eternity?

As I passed the twenty-eighth floor, I wondered if I did the right thing by pursuing this story. Maybe I should have let it go, and maybe I would have been allowed to live a normal life.

As I passed the twenty-seventh floor, I wondered how I could have blown off Misty's prediction so easily. She was right, and if I paid closer attention to what she told me that one day, perhaps I wouldn't be tumbling to the concrete.

As I passed the twenty-sixth floor, I wondered why I never bothered investing in life insurance. I never thought I'd need it, but apparently I was wrong. You know what they say, life will throw all kinds of unexpected things at you, and me dying was evidence that that phrase was true.

As I passed the twenty-fifth floor, I wondered if Divine was right. Would anyone find me? Or would I never be avenged? Would I die for nothing?

As I passed the twenty-fourth floor, I wondered why there weren't any stars out. I wanted to take a memory of something beautiful with me and I wanted it to be the last thing I saw.

As I passed the twenty-third floor, I wondered where my glasses were. Shouldn't I at least be able to see my surroundings during my last few moments of life on earth?

As I passed the twenty-second floor, I wondered how much longer I would be falling. It seemed to go so much slower than it should have, seeing as the force of gravity was a lot stronger when I tripped and fell to the ground.

As I passed the twenty-first floor, I wondered if my clumsiness was as annoying as my boss told me. Sure, I tripped and spilled coffee on him before, but it couldn't be that bad… right?

As I passed the twentieth floor, I wondered who would replace me at work. After all, I never really got the chance to do very much, so it shouldn't be too hard to find someone to take my place.

As I passed the nineteenth floor, I wondered how many people would miss me. I didn't have that many friends; I was never gifted with that ability to draw people to me.

As I passed the eighteenth floor, I wondered if my parents and I could have mended our relationship if I was allowed to live.

As I passed the seventeenth floor, I wondered if my parents were maybe right when they told me I'd never amount to anything if I pursued being a reporter. The only real story I ever unearthed resulted in the ultimate consequence, and I'd never get the chance to share it with anyone.

As I passed the sixteenth floor, I wondered if people I knew way back when would have acknowledged me as a real person once I got the article I would have written published.

As I passed the fifteenth floor, I wondered how my high school crushes were doing. I never had very many, mostly due to the fact that none of them returned the feelings I felt toward them.

As I passed the fourteenth floor, I wondered why no guy danced with me at the prom. I always pretended that it was no big deal, but since I had the time to think about it before I splattered on the ground, apparently it meant more to me than I thought.

As I passed the thirteenth floor, I wondered if any guy had ever liked me. Of course, it really only mattered if one did…

As I passed the twelfth floor, I wondered if Jack meant it. Did he really want to keep me safe, or was he just covering up the fact that he wanted to ditch me? After all, the second thought was much more plausible.

As I passed the eleventh floor, I wondered how long it would have taken for me to get over him. If I ever did.

As I passed the tenth floor, I wondered if Jack really _did_ hate fun. Somehow, I can't imagine him really disliking amusement parks as much as he claimed.

As I passed the ninth floor, I wondered why Jack felt the need to open my special tea. I mean, there was a ton of other things to drink in the apartment, but of course he had to have the one thing that was off limits.

As I passed the eighth floor, I wondered what he was thinking about when he looked at me that way. His eyes seemed to see beyond my odd spectacles and bored into my grey eyes that I've been told are beautiful and shouldn't be covered up.

As I passed the seventh floor, I wondered if we could have been married some day. What would the reception be like? What would my dress be like? Would he refuse to wear a tuxedo in exchange for his white jacket, even if it was after Labor Day?

As I passed the sixth floor, I wondered if we would have kids. I'd hope that they'd look more like Jack then me, and I'd hope they'd have his twenty/twenty vision.

As I passed the fifth floor, I wondered if my thoughts on Jack were starting to get a little creepy.

As I passed the fourth floor, I wondered why Jack seemed to be the thing I thought about most before my body hit the pavement. I had tons of other stuff to worry about, but I was concerned about him the most.

As I passed the third floor, I wondered how long it took for someone to fall in love. Did love at first sight really exist, or did you have to know someone for a certain amount of time before you could truthfully say you wanted to be with them for the rest of your life?

As I passed the second floor, I wondered if I loved Jack Atlas.

As I passed the first floor, I wondered if Jack Atlas loved me.

But then I didn't have time to wonder about anything anymore. I hit floor zero. And tears I didn't even know I was holding in escaped from my eyes because there were so many things I would never know.

**(A/N) I really liked writing this one. It was annoying though, because I would add stuff in toward the top and I'd have to go and re-edit all the numbers. I probably should have finished first, then added the floor numbers… oh well! Review, please :)**


	8. Phobias

**(A/N) So my extended family visited me over the weekend, and someone stole my pillow… yeah, I wasn't very happy, so I decided to write Jack/Carly, because that makes everyone feel better!**

**PLEASE READ THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE BOTTOM!**

Everyone has an irrational fear. Yusei didn't like bugs, Aki was afraid of being abandoned, Jack never told anyone what his was but Carly knew he wasn't invincible, and Carly herself… Well, Carly was having an encounter with the one thing she couldn't stand.

Jack didn't move when he heard her shrieking. Now, Carly, being the clumsy person she was, frequently tripped and hurt herself, often times crying out then following up with her trademark, "I'm okay!"

Usually she didn't really need Jack to check on her after one of her mishaps. But this time, she was staring wide eyed at the thing that struck so much terror in her as she shouted, "Jack!"

And just like that, he was up and heading toward Carly's work room. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned or rolling his eyes. He was bored though, as he often was when Carly was in her hardcore-journalism mode; so he was grateful when that he'd have something to do, even if it did involve taking care of his hysterical girlfriend.

He passed the bathroom, peered in, and entered. He opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed a box of Band-Aids just in case. When she kept bellowing even louder, Jack snatched the tube of Neosporin. He also grabbed a roll of duct tape, because apparently, duct tape fixes everything.

When he opened the door to the room Carly was currently occupying, he was ready for anything. He glanced around, and to his surprise, found the space looking normal. Nothing was out of place, there was no burglar or anything like that, so he turned to the woman and questioned slightly impatiently, "What? Why are you screaming?"

Carly relaxed a bit as the tall man filled the door frame. But still, her finger was shaking a bit when she and pointed to a little fuzzy spot on the tiled floor. "Please, just make it go away…"

When he glanced at what Carly was gesturing to, he didn't say anything. It took a lot to make Jack Atlas speechless, and yet, Carly often managed to render him silent. Eventually he uttered, "You're scared of that?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed, shuffling closer to him, never taking her eyes off the fuzzy caterpillar, or as she liked to call them, The Insects of Death.

He almost wanted to tell her to fend for herself, but he didn't want to be that mean to her. Just because he couldn't understand why she hated the creatures so much didn't mean he had the right to judge her. At least, that's what he kept telling himself as he asked her, "Would you mind telling me why?"

She exhaled and looked up at him past her glasses. Sheepishly, she confessed, "It's really embarrassing."

"Carly, you're screaming over a little _thing_ about an inch long. I think you should already be embarrassed, so you might as well just tell me and get it over with."

Her cheeks flushed and she started, "Well, it all happened when I was seven years old. See, I wasn't exactly the most popular little kid, and I was just minding my own business, when this mean boy flung one of those on me!"

His face took on an expression of disbelief. "Is that it?" He walked over to the desk where her laptop was sitting and placed down the supplies he was carrying.

She shook her head and said as though it should be obvious to everyone, "Of course that's not it! I wasn't very lucky even when I was a child, and it stung me! It crawled up my arm and down my shirt, and I kept trying to shake it off and it just didn't work, and please, please, _please_ get rid of it!" She finished dramatically, panic in her voice increasing as she recalled her bad experience with the furry demons.

The caterpillar starting working it's way over to where Carly and Jack were huddled. She whimpered in his ear, and he sighed. "I really think you're overreacting."

She scowled at him. "Oh, c'mon, Jack! Everyone's scared of something!"

Jack smirked at her and mocked lightly, "Of course, most people are afraid of things a little bit more sensible than a tiny bug."

"Oh, really? Then why don't you tell me what your greatest fear is?" She demanded indignantly, absolutely certain he wouldn't answer.

He frowned slightly. "Why do you need to know?"

Carly grinned triumphantly, "Ha! I knew you wouldn't tell me. You're too cowardly!"

"My greatest fear…" Jack began thoughtfully.

Carly waited awhile before prodding, "Well?"

He'd honestly never given it much thought. Thinking back, he realized he used to be afraid that he'd never amount to anything, which is why he left Satellite. He used to be afraid that no one would forgive him for all the wrong he'd done. But Carly had changed him, taken those phobias and banished them.

"My greatest fear is that I'll lose you again." He finally admitted. He took in her features, noticing the way her blush contrasted with her ebony hair and creamy skin.

Grey eyes shining, Carly reached up and kissed his cheek softly. "Jack…" She murmured.

They wrapped their arms around each other and Carly was about to say something terribly sentimental when Jack calmly interrupted, "Don't freak out, and don't move, okay?"

Carly agreed, not really wanting to move out of Jack's embrace. "The caterpillar is on your back."

She forgot Jack's early advice and yelped. She pulled away and started desperately turning, attempting to see The Insect of Death. "Where? Get it off, get it off, get it off!" Carly pleaded, still walking in a circle as she tried to find the creature.

"Didn't I tell you not to move or freak out?" Despite his annoyance, he chuckled a bit. "Stand still."

She complied. She stood there, waiting for the stupid thing to just go away and leave her alone. He lightly touched a spot opposite her navel and held his hand there for a few seconds. She didn't move at all until she heard him say, "There. It's gone."

Carly turned around, about to thank him when she saw the thing crawling on his hand. "Why didn't you smoosh it yet?" She inquired incredulously, backing away from him.

His eyes went from the girl to the caterpillar. He grinned evilly before moving his hand toward Carly's face. She glared at him and said, "Don't you _dare,_ Jack Atlas."

"Hm? What's that?" He jeered at her, shifting the insect a little bit closer.

She bit her lip to prevent her from swearing at her boyfriend. "Just keep it away from me!" The bespectacled girl commanded, motioning to the window.

He was still smiling as he taunted, "Do you really think you're in the position to make demands right now? After all, I'm the one who could flick this one you, just like that boy—"

Carly gasped. "You wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't I?"

She thought about it before grimacing. "Oh, you would."

He laughed at her before walking over to the window. He opened it up and dumped the tiny worm-like animal outside before moving to stand beside Carly. "Consider yourself lucky." Jack smiled at her teasingly. He scratched his left hand absentmindedly.

Already over her momentary bout of anger, she beamed back at him. She wandered over to her laptop and pounded on some of the keys.

"Back to work?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm looking up weird phobias."

By now his skin was starting to blister and he cussed lowly. "Carly? While you're at it, you might want to look up how to treat caterpillar stings."

**(A/N) I have to admit something. Carly's experience with caterpillars? Yeah, that's based on a true story…**

**What are some of your irrational fears? Obviously I won't laugh, because it doesn't get much worse than being afraid of a tiny little bug.**

**IMPORTANT NOTICE, IF YOU WEREN'T READING THIS BEFORE, PLEASE READ IT NOW! **

**I want to rename this story and I might want to change the summary as well, but I really haven't a clue what I should call it. Please submit your ideas, and I will be happy to take them into consideration. I will create a poll on my profile once I get enough recommendations, and you can all vote on it and help me to decide!  
**


	9. Probably Wouldn't Be This Way

**(A/N) Hmm… This is probably going to be pretty sad, just to warn you. I'm still trying to decide on a new title and summary for this.  
**

**It took me forever to decide how to execute this. This is AU. Chapter was inspired by a song (which I do not own) entitled "Probably Wouldn't Be This Way" by LeAnn Rimes. I would obviously recommend reading the lyrics, they are there for a reason.**

**

* * *

**

_I probably wouldn't be this way,  
I probably wouldn't hurt so bad,  
I never pictured every minute without you in it,  
Oh you left so fast.  
Sometimes I see you standing there,  
Sometimes it's like I'm losing touch,  
Sometimes I feel that I'm so lucky to have had the chance to love this much.  
God gave me a moment's grace,  
Cause if I'd never seen your face,  
I probably wouldn't be this way…_

_

* * *

_

She was inching her way forward, head down. I observed the way her feet shuffled and she seemed to move with a certain depression that was never present in her gait before _it_ happened. I already knew where she was going, but I couldn't say a thing. I couldn't move to her, knowing she'd probably scream at me just like she did everyone else.

So instead I stood in the shadows, watching. Carly was floating through the crowd of people, easily ignoring the looks people shot her. Her dark hair was lying in a tangled mess past her shoulders, as though she couldn't be bothered to brush it. As though she couldn't be bothered to do the mundane things in life anymore. As though those mundane things had no purpose, no meaning to her.

She still hadn't gotten her glasses fixed, and something told me she never would. Some people say the eyes are the window to the soul. Her glasses were once odd, concealing a pair of beautiful grey eyes. Maybe the cracks in the lenses represented the way _she_ was cracking.

The clouds overhead were accumulating. Casting my eyes upward, I noted that it would most likely start pouring at any given moment. However, neither Carly nor I cared. My mission at the moment was to keep an eye on her, and I would fulfill it.

We got here, and a sick smile played at the corners of her mouth. She broke out into a run, her usually awkward sprint turning confident because she knew exactly what she was doing; she knew exactly where she was going.

It was a ritual she had, coming here. Every day, from the moment she woke up to the moment someone persuaded her to leave, she came to the cemetery.

* * *

_You ought to see the way these people look at me_,  
_ When they see me round here talking to this stone._  
_ Everybody thinks I've lost my mind,_  
_ But I just take it day by day._

_

* * *

_

"Hi, Jack." Carly breathed. Her smile morphed from cynicism to happiness. "It's me again."

I watched as she ran a finger along the top of the tablet. His headstone was handsome, much like he once was. Inscribed on the front were the words, "Jack Atlas. Loved by Many, Missed by All." Her hand skimmed the words, eyes closing as she sighed quietly.

"So it's day twenty-six. Twenty-six days have passed since you gave yourself up to bring back the Dark Signers. Twenty-six days since you gave yourself up to bring back _me_. I wish you didn't. It's so hard, being here without you.

You weren't supposed to do that. When the Goodwins wouldn't sacrifice themselves, you weren't supposed to be the hero in hopes of returning us to our normal lives. I know my life will never be normal, not without you in it."

Carly was torturing herself. I could see it, in her slightly curled up position, like she was defending herself. I could see it on her face, that this meeting was incredibly painful. And yet, she came here, still.

She opened her mouth and quietly told him, "I wonder who's watching me today. Every day, they send someone different, thinking that maybe the right person will convince me stop talking to you forever." Carly picked up her head and glanced around the trees, eyes flitting over the scenery as though searching for me.

She laughed delightedly. I wondered absently why she couldn't be so happy when she was around other people. People who were actually alive, people who wanted her to be alive again with her usual joyful spirit. "You know, Jack, they think I'm crazy."

And when she kept giggling, it was evident to me once more why we all thought she had possibly lost her mind. We thought it'd stop eventually, that she'd finally return to normal. But it's been weeks, and the pattern was the same. Wake up, eat, walk out to the cemetery, spend the whole day there, go home, eat, sleep, wake up, eat... It never changed.

"I'm not. Crazy, I mean." Her voice dropped as she whispered out loud, "Don't they see? Talking to you is the one thing that keeps me _sane_. It's the only thing that keeps me in touch with reality, the only thing that reminds me you're really gone_. _Gone_ forever._

They just don't get it. Everyone deals with grief differently, and this is how I cope. Jack, I know you understand. None of them must have loved you like I did. Like I still _do_."

Something on her face revealed that she wasn't lying. She was telling the truth and nothing but the truth. We all loved Jack, some more than others, but maybe she was right. None of us loved him as much as she did.

Carly bit her lip, before blushing, almost like she was confessing something embarrassing. "But even though it reminds me of your absence, somehow, coming here gives me hope too. Sometimes, when I close my eyes," She squeezed them shut tightly, "And when I talk to you, I can almost hear you reply." She opened her eyes and finished, "It makes the talk of me being crazy all worth it."

Carly's voice became increasingly louder as she angrily told Jack's spirit, "Besides, they don't really care. If they did, they'd try to understand!"

And for an instant, I actually _did_ understand her. I understood why she was out here, why she was talking to him. And I understood that while she might seem insane now, she wasn't. She was hurting, badly, and she needed a friend, not criticism.

She stopped her ranting. "Maybe I have lost my mind. Why can't you just come back?"

I was waiting for it. The others warned me it happened every time, but I didn't think it'd be that bad. She just collapsed, convulsing. The spasms racked her body as she sobbed, not bothering to try and control her body. Something told me she welcomed this, that it brought some kind of closure. "Please, Jack, please return. Please, Jack. I miss you. I'm alone. I'm so alone. Please..."

Words can't describe what it was like to see this. I knew that Yusei and everyone else warned me that it was hard to watch and listen to, and that it was really bad. It was so hard because we could _see_ it. We could see all the emotions she felt, and for awhile, I could feel her pain.

And I knew it was my job to stop that.

Stepping out from my hiding spot, I walked over to the grieving woman. I placed a hand on her shoulder gently, and her head slowly rolled up, eyes wide as she recognized me. "Did you love him? Like I did?"

I didn't think that would be the first thing she said to me, but at least it gave me something to work with. At least she was cooperating somewhat, and not shouting and babbling. "No, Carly. But I understand." I told the hysterical girl as she tossed her arms around me. I let her cry on me, and I let her whimper incoherent phrases in despair.

She never stopped crying, and something told me they weren't joking when they said she cried herself to sleep every night. "Do you really?" She finally asked, an odd mixture of bitterness and hope in her voice as she continued, "Do you think I'm crazy too?"

Again I told her no. She looked at me then, and I tugged off her glasses. The tears were slowing, and I was glad they were. Her eyes were so easy to read, and I wondered if that's why she wore the unflattering frames, to give her something to hide beneath.

Carly was utterly broken. I had never met anyone who was so destroyed by losing someone, and that was when I realized how pure their feelings must have been for each other. "I wish he never told me he loved me. Maybe it'd be easier, if he didn't."

"He's not coming back. Is he?" She asked me, a childlike innocence and questioning in her gaze. "I thought that maybe if I kept talking to him, somehow he'd talk back. But he won't."

I didn't know what to say. Some people said I was good with words, but in that instance I wasn't sure what sort of words I could say that could possibly console this woman. "I won't come here every day anymore. He'd want me to move on, wouldn't he?"

"He never wanted anything bad for you, ever, Carly." I told her quietly.

Her eyes shone and she cried more, but it wasn't the out of control burst of emotion like before. "I'll never love anyone again."

I smiled at her softly and said, "You don't have to. But you do have to learn to love _life_ again, you were the one who taught him that change and getting over things is good. He gave you the privilege of being able to live happily, and you have to follow your own advice. You have to do it for _him._"

She glared off in the distance, squinting a bit. I couldn't begin to fathom what she was thinking about, until she turned back to me and I saw the slightest glimmer of happiness. It was gone quickly, but still, it was there. "Thank you..."

I wasn't sure what I'd done differently than the rest of them. Maybe I was more approachable because she thought I'd understand. Maybe I said what she needed to hear. Maybe she was already on the road to being healed after her latest outburst. But it didn't matter.

Her eyes burned with gratitude as she hugged me. "Thank you, Mikage."

**(A/N) I really tried not to make Carly seem too crazy as in "lock me up in a padded room crazy" just crazy with grief. I really have no clue if I managed to pull this off, but I sure hope so.  
**

**And please, tell me, did you guess right away whose POV it was? I'm curious to see who you guys thought it might be :)**


	10. The New Moon Debate

**(A/N) Alright, just for the record, I am not a Twilight fan. That does not mean I'm judging those who like Twilight, however, I just don't want a lot of people complaining about how I've incorporated Twilight into this fic. To be honest, I think that this scenario is quite plausible (After all, everyone knows Carly does get kind of intense sometimes…)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or 5d's, or any quotes taken from the book or show.**

That was the best book she had ever read. Awestruck, she lifted the book and stared at it. According to Carly, _Twilight_ was four-hundred and ninety-eight pages of pure genius on Stephenie Meyer's part.

She honestly didn't think she would like it. She had never read a romance novel before, and she hadn't been planning on enjoying the literature as much as she had. Carly only read it because her boss wanted her to get experience in writing reviews, and she had learned it was best not to argue with him.

"Where did I put the second one?" She muttered to herself, shuffling around the room and moving things, desperate to continue the tragic story of Bella and Edward.

Carly had a crush on Edward. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, especially not Jack, but it was the truth. Edward was just so… perfect. Amazingly good looking, so kind and loving, protective, strong. She sighed, drifting off into a daydream.

"Oh yeah!" She exclaimed snapping out of her reverie. "I was supposed to be looking for _New Moon._"

After another ten minutes or so of searching, she finally found it. She beamed as she observed the gorgeous flower on the cover. It was a delicate pale pink (so pale it was almost white) blossom with a bloody maroon color running through the petals. Carly decided she wanted those flowers to be at her wedding.

She cracked open the book. Immediately, she was sucked in, even from the prologue. The story was so engrossing; she let herself imagine she was right there in Forks, Washington with the rest of the characters.

She'd always been told she was always very animated when she read. She used to read novels all the time during school until she got in trouble for distracting other students. Since then, she always read at home with the door shut so no one would bother her and she wouldn't bother anyone else.

Meanwhile, across the hall, Jack was half listening to his girlfriend muttering to herself and half playing a videogame, starring himself. He smirked as he heard Carly occasionally gasp or sigh, and everything was fine until…

"GO DIE, EDWARD!" Carly screamed, literally throwing her book at the wall. She glared as it hit the side of her study with a loud thud. Ferociously, she ranted on, "Seriously, just go find another vampire to tear you to shreds, you little—"

The door flung open, and Carly stopped in her tracks for just a moment. But when she saw it was Jack, she just started raging some more. "Why did Edward have to leave Bella? Why?" She shouted at him, running her hands through her hair in aggravation.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, bewildered. Jack stared at her before demanding, "More importantly, who's Edward?" He tried not to sound too jealous, after all, if this Edward guy made her cry so much, she must have really liked him.

She frowned. "He's this book character! He's a vampire and he sparkles in the sun and I really liked him, but then he just left her, for no reason!"

"Carly…" Jack muttered, not sure what to do with her. "You're having a meltdown because a fictional character abandoned a fictional character?"

"Exactly!" Carly replied vehemently, nodding her head enthusiastically. "And I just don't get it because they were just so perfect together and he just ditched her?" Then she muttered to herself, "I bet he left to go be with _Tanya._" She scowled in disdain.

He knew he would regret it, but he couldn't help but ask, "Maybe he was trying to protect her?"

She stared up in disbelief at the blonde man. "You're kidding, right? Why didn't he just tell her that? Maybe she would have listened and stayed safe if that was what he really wanted!" Her voice rose.

Carly knew she was probably overreacting. After all, it was just a book.

But she understood Bella, and she knew what it was like to have someone leave you with no explanations, just a cold goodbye. She couldn't help but scowl at Jack a bit, as she remembered him brushing her off and how much it hurt.

"Or maybe she wouldn't have agreed to go away and she would have put herself in danger to be with him! After all, maybe he just knew she'd do something ridiculously stupid like, oh I don't know, get involved anyway even when he specifically said not to." Jack shot back.

Jack knew he was probably overreacting. Most of the time, when she was angry, he just went along with it so he wouldn't upset her more, but this time, he couldn't. He didn't read the books, but if this Edward loved Bella as much as Carly was claiming, then he knew exactly what Edward was thinking.

The two of them hadn't talked about when he left her to go to the Satellite. Jack always thought it was obvious that he didn't want to leave her, but Carly simply forgot. There was always more to talk about, like her being a Dark Signer, and for awhile, she managed to forget.

But then she started reading, and the memories resurfaced. And she remembered how hard it was for her, and that he never even apologized. At least, she thought he never apologized. He did, back before their duel started, but Carly had no knowledge of this fact, and Jack simply thought she knew.

She frowned more as she remembered how he hurt her, and sympathized with Bella more. "That's awfully egotistical of him to think she'd hurt herself just to be with him." And even though it was egotistical, she couldn't help but wonder if she, Bella that is, would have hurt herself to be with Edward. Or just to remember him.

He didn't say anything for a minute, so Carly got up and retrieved the book. She flipped to page sixty-nine and said, "Right here he says, 'I don't want you to come with me,' and then two pages after that he told her, 'Don't do anything reckless or stupid, do you understand what I'm saying?' But he only wanted her to be safe so she could take care of her dad. He obviously didn't care about her at all!"

Angrily, Jack told her, "Clearly he was lying so she'd stay out of it and wouldn't get hurt. Because he loved her."

Carly huffed. "I'm pretty sure you got the lying part right, but I think he was just lying in general because if he really didn't want her to get hurt, he would have _stayed_ instead of _leaving_! Especially since she really needed him."

"He needed her to be safe." Jack said coolly, trying to stop yelling at her.

The tall man glanced at his much more petite companion, and could see that she was really worked up. Internally, he groaned, knowing he really shouldn't have said anything.

They stood in silence for awhile before Jack finally stated, "That's a stupid book."

She looked at him before she laughed a bit at his put-out expression. He was utterly petulant, actually pouting. He looked at her and smiled slightly. "Besides, obviously, he really did love her because he came back to save her. And I bet you there was a happy ending."

"How do you know that?" Carly gasped. "Oh, don't tell me you read the books."

He resisted the urge to go bang his head on the wall. "No, why would anyone want to read such… never mind. But there are two more books, so he must have come back, right?"

She grinned happily. "Oh yeah! I guess he did, didn't he?"

He nodded before heading toward the exit of the room. "I'll leave you to your reading now. Just try not to get too angry again, okay?"

Despite the fact that she promised to stay calm, half an hour later she was screaming, "GO DIE, JACOB!"

Jack grimaced. "Here we go again…"

**(A/N) There we go. This took me forever to write because I had to keep going on Wikipedia and I actually had to re-read part of New Moon. And believe me, it **_**killed**_** me inside to compare Carly to Bella and Jack to Edward. Ah, well.**


	11. Yin and Yang

**(A/N) This was based on when Misty told Carly (in the dub) at the end of episode 39. I figure I might as well use dub names since I'm going with the dubbed episode. **

**I do not own either the scene from episode 39 or episode 58.  
**

**READ THE NOTICE AT THE BOTTOM!**

No matter how hard she thought about it, Carly just didn't understand anything that was happening to her. She was on a roof, and the only thing she was sure about was that she just dueled Sayer… and then what?

She gripped her hair in confusion, trembling slightly when something in her peripheral vision caught her eye. "What's with this Duel Disk? What's this Mark on my arm?" In purple ink, a strange hummingbird shape was etched onto her arm.

Just what happened after her duel?

She sank to the ground, voice slowly increasing in volume as she half-shouted, "What's going on?"

Tears escaped her eyes, both from frustration and horrible, horrible shame. Though she had no idea what she should be ashamed _of._ "Why am I freaking out like this?" Carly sobbed.

"Carly…" A voice full of power called out to her, and she recognized the woman speaking to her. "Don't be afraid of your destiny."

Her blue-ish gray eyes opened, and she picked up her head. "Is that you, Misty?" She questioned, staring at the tall model.

Misty ignored her question as she told her, "You were chosen, Carly. Just as _I_ was chosen."

But something wasn't right. No one's eyes were supposed to look like that; black with just a touch of color. It was wrong. "Chosen for what?" Carly asked suspiciously, wondering if Misty was being sponsored to wear weird contacts or something. However, something told Carly that contacts were not the cause for Misty's strange eyes and behavior.

"You were chosen by the Immortals. When the life you once knew was taken away, you had unfinished business."

Carly remembered. She could see it, she could _feel_ herself being sliced by sharp shards of glass as the plunged down, down, down… and died.

_Only she wasn't dead._ She was supposed to be lifeless and broken on the concrete because when you die, you aren't able to move. Unless...

"Something you needed to say or do," Misty continued, the intensity of her voice making Carly want to listen and obey her every word. "The Immortals gave you their powers so you could, well, stick around. Same kind of thing happened to me."

Misty paused a bit, as though searching for ways to word a particularly confusing concept. When she picked up again, she spoke slowly. "We're still in this world, but we're not part of it anymore. Not as we once were anyway." Misty seemed to gain more confidence as she glanced at the lizard tattooed on her forearm. "This mark is proof."

It dawned on Carly then. She couldn't possible be…? "No! That's a lie!" She choked out, the salty water pouring out of her eyes and streaming down her face. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to turn into one of _them. _She would rather be dead._  
_

"I understand," Misty told her, placing a hand on her shoulder compassionately. "It's a lot to take in, I know. Don't worry, you will understand soon," Misty said, smiling a bit. "But before you can do that…" She embraced Carly, trying to calm her down so she could see clearly. Trying to make Carly see reason. "What is your unfinished business?

And how can it benefit the Dark Signers?"

* * *

Everyone left Carly alone, knowing that it was a difficult process to undergo. For the moment, Carly was waging a war within herself, two different people struggling for control over her physical shell. Who would win? Carly Carmine or Dark Carly?

Dark Carly had always been a part of Carly Carmine, though smothered and dormant. Carly Carmine hadn't done anything terribly wrong in her lifetime, though Dark Carly was always tempting her to be a bad person. But now that Dark Carly had been brought to the surface completely, thanks to Ascilla Piscu, this battle began.

Both parts of Carly knew that her "unfinished business" had something to do with Jack Atlas. Each of the other Dark Signers was already assigned, so to speak, a counterpart Signer. According to Misty, Roman was to take on the Signer whose identity Carly still didn't know about; Misty was Akiza's counterpart; Kalin was meant to duel Yusei; and Devack was to take on the little girl; leaving only Jack.

Carly Carmine needed to tell Jack something. Over the time she spent with him, she fell in love with him. She was going to tell him, but then he left. He told her he needed her to be safe and then abandoned her.

Dark Carly needed revenge on Jack. He hurt her in ways unthinkable, and he was going to pay. No one deserved to get away with doing something so terribly cruel, and Carly herself was going to pay him back for the pain he caused.

Now that both parts of Carly figured out what their unfinished business was, they knew what needed to be done next. They had to take action.

Carly Carmine just wanted to be with him one more time, and then she would do something to end this twisted sort of Immortality. She couldn't imagine trying to hurt anyone else because of what the evil spirit that sometimes spoke to her wanted her to do. She just couldn't.

Dark Carly just wanted to make him suffer, physically and emotionally. After all, that's what he did to her, and Dark Carly had a need to hurt something or someone. Who better than Jack?

Both parts of Carly knew it wasn't fair for anyone to be quite so torn. To be constantly fighting, one side taking over for one moment, then the other gaining control for another… it was too much for one person to bear.

* * *

During one of the moments of peace, Carly Carmine was in control. She had no recollection of what it was like to actually talk to people, and she missed that. She was certain she would be driven to the point on insanity if she was kept confined for much longer. "How long are they going to keep me all alone and locked up in this room? What is it that they want with me?"

"Since you asked..." A voice cut through the silence and Carly's eyes flew open in surprise. "I will tell you. The answer is in the cards."

Confused, Carly stuttered, "The...Cards?"

The voice seemed to surround her. No, it seemed to be coming _from_ her. Like the voice was speaking from inside her. And Carly knew what that meant... it was Ascilla Piscu, trying to tell her it was time to do what she was born for; and yet, Ascilla Piscu never said directly what she need to do. "Sweet, innocent Carly... You need only one look, and you will see what I speak of."

She pulled the Deck out from behind her, and held the cards in front of her face. One seemed to glow, and she impulsively selected it. "What in the world?" When she turned the card over, and she saw what was on it...

A vision sprawled out before her. He was there, next to her. And they were royalty, ruling the world. For just a second, Carly let herself consider what it would be like.

A second was all it took. A second of a lapse in control, and Dark Carly took over her body, finally. Just like that, the war was over as because with a god's help, there was no way Carly Carmine would be able to take control again.

Ascilla Piscu and Dark Carly might have been different people, with Dark Carly being the servant and Ascilla Piscu the master, but they both had the same goal in mind - destroy Jack.

Carly Carmine would always be a part of Dark Carly, much like Dark Carly was always a part of Carly Carmine. Carly Carmine would still fight for her body, and she would be horrified at the things Dark Carly was doing.

They were the same person, yet so very different.

Yin and Yang. Light and Dark. Good and Evil. All within one woman.

And as Carly's eyes blackened, somewhere out there, Jack was frowning.

**(A/N) Sorry this one wasn't quite as Scoopshipping-central. Orginially, the middle part was going to make up this whole oneshot, but I had to change the format a bit. Also, I tried to make this as least confusing as possible, but I don't really know how that went.  
**

**PLEASE READ!  
**

**Okay, so I've decided that I will be changing the name and summary of this story. I don't really like what I have now, simply because magnetism really has nothing to do with any of the oneshots except for the first one. Below you'll see what I'm going to be altering, and if you don't like it, let me know now or forever hold your peace. (I definitely typed forever hold your peach XD)**

**Title: An Everlasting Love  
**

**Summary: ****True love is eternal, no matter who the people are or where they might be. Sometimes, it can transcend time and dimensions. A series of unrelated oneshots based on every possible Scoopshipping scenario, be it tragic or fluff. Formerly titled Magnets.**


	12. Jealous

**(A/N) I'm really sorry it took so long to update. See, I'm working on the next chapter of this story and I have been since my last update. So far it stands at over six thousand words and is about thirteen pages long and it isn't even halfway complete. I've been going out of town as well, so that didn't help at all.**

**This is going to be pretty short, but I hope you guys like it anyway! Also, I haven't been to a wedding since I was about eight, and I tried researching how weddings go, but it wasn't very helpful, so if I screw something up, my apologies.**

I wanted to cry because I would always be jealous of what they had.

They loved each other so much, that for a person like me, it was hard to look at. I had nothing like that, something so pure and _wonderful_. It practically seemed to radiate from the two of them

I would never have a love like that.

It couldn't be any more perfect than it already was. The hyacinths were draped all over the place, and I had no doubt in my mind that they were her favorite flower simply because they matched his eyes perfectly. Glittering gauze was spun all around the pillars under which the couple stood, both of them smiling at each other like they were in their own world.

I would never have a wedding like that.

You could see it in the way he kept his eyes trained on her, ready to jump in front of her to save her life at any moment. Or maybe he was just staring at her because he found her so utterly fascinating, he couldn't bear to look away. Or maybe he just looked at her because he loved her.

I would never be looked at that way.

He took her hand in his; caressing it gently like he might break a bone in her delicate hand. She blushed sweetly, and everyone in the chairs sighed. The priest was babbling on, but they were obviously frozen in time, savoring the moment.

I would never have a moment like that to savor.

No one would ever consider that Jack Atlas could be so kind, so loving toward anyone. In every interview with him I'd seen, he was closed off and abrasive. There was none of that tenderness, that vulnerability.

I would never be able to change a man the way she changed him.

Carly was so beautiful, so different then the way she once was. Everyone in high school made fun of her, they all criticized her. But it wasn't that she was gorgeous on the outside. Sure, she was pretty, but that beauty poured out of her. It was that smile on her face, like there wasn't anything wrong in the world because she had him.

I would never be that stunning.

Slowly, I lifted my camera with 'Angela' inscribed on it, and snapped a shot of them leaning together as the priest declared, "You may now kiss the bride." He lifted the veil from her face, and kissed her so softly, it hurt me inside.

I would never be kissed like that.

The rest of the people around me erupted in cheers, especially one particularly obnoxious redhead in the front row. Jack merely rolled his eyes and smiled while Carly beamed like she was in a beauty pageant.

I would never have a reason to smile like that.

He scooped her up in his arms, and she squealed while the rest of the crowd laughed. He grinned at her and whispered something that made her turn tomato red, much to everyone's amusement. Everyone but mine.

I would never find someone that would carry me away.

Everyone began to mull around, deciding when to head over to the wedding reception. Lots of people stood and walked to their cars, leaving me alone. I know as a professional reporter, I should have stayed to interview Jack and Carly, but I couldn't. It would hurt too much.

I would never forget the way people looked at me when I _ran_ to my car.

The few moments alone in my car were heavenly, but I didn't have very far to drive. When I got to the reception, I was directed to a set very far from the Bride and Groom's Table. Everyone stood as Carly and Jack entered.

I would never be the one walking into the room like that.

My stomach growled, and I was grateful when the two began to form the food line. I had attended many weddings, so I knew that was my cue to get food if I wanted something to eat. After everyone was served and sat to eat, I watched as the newlyweds fed each other.

I would never be able to do that.

The cutting of the cake brought much laughter. When the knife was picked up, Carly's eyes widened in fear, and I recalled that she was very clumsy. I could barely make out what Jack said, but it sounded like "Don't hurt yourself."

I would never have someone tease me so gently.

There was so much toasting afterward. I was grateful for the excuse to down some alcohol and ease some of my pain. I heard everyone saying things about how sweet the couple was, and how they'd live such long, happy lives.

I would never live a happy life.

But then I couldn't take it anymore. When the music started to play, and he took her in his arms, carefully guiding her to keep her safe from hurting herself, I just lost it. Most people cry at the ceremony, not the reception, and I promised I wouldn't shed a tear at this one. I broke that promise though, and I cried.

I cried because I would always be jealous of what they had.

**(A/N) That was Angela POV, in case you couldn't tell. I always felt bad for the mean-girl types because they're always the ones who end up miserable when it counts.**

**Like I said, it's short, and it's not quite as Scoopshipping-y and it isn't my best work, but it's just to tide you guys over. The next chapter will have A TON of Jack/Carly, and it should be uploaded sometime on Thursday before I go out of town. Till then!**


	13. Sweet, Sweet Normalcy: Part One

**(A/N) I've been looking forward to writing this chapter ever since I started this story… I really hope I do this justice. So let's just imagine that Carly and Jack were normal; no Duel Monsters, no signer stuff, no nothing. I feel like using dub names, so that's what I plan on doing! Anyway, each little section is going to be representative of each grade and the way the two of them grow up together (which you probably would have figured out…)**

**Also! I haven't got much knowledge of the way a public school system works, and the ages might be a little off because I'm young for my grade. Just a little warning.**

**One more thing (I keep adding to this thing as I write the story, sorry). There will be hints of Faithshipping even though I'm not a die-hard Faithshipper. I love Jack/Carly too much XD**

_~~~~~Kindergarten~~~~~_

"Mommy, what if they don't like me?" Carly asked, biting down on her lip.

Her mother wouldn't say anything to her baby girl, but secretly, she was worrying about the same thing. Throughout Pre-K, Carly didn't have very many friends. She was always daydreaming, and most children thought she was weird. It didn't really bother the little girl, but her mother was concerned. After all, it just wasn't normal for a kid to spend so much time by herself even though she was surrounded by other people her age.

Luckily, Carly was naïve enough to believe Danielle when she lied, "Of course they will!"

Carly grinned cutely and her mother's heart just melted. _How can little kids not like her? She's the sweetest child in the world._ "Alright, Carly, we're here! Have a good first day, honey," Danielle told her little kid.

Danielle's eyes started to water as her baby leaned up and kissed her on the cheek, her eyes alight with excitement. "I will, and I'll tell you all about it when you pick me up! Bye-bye, Mama!"

Carly stared wide-eyed at the scene in front of her. Her school was _humongous_. Like, fifty bazillion times bigger than her home. "Wow…" She breathed before squealing in excitement. Her lunch box swayed as she sprinted to the door.

Her teacher, Ms. Lynn, was standing outside. She had already met all the kids in her class, and when she noticed Carly she smiled at her reassuringly. "Hi, Ms. Lynn!" Carly exclaimed brightly.

Ms. Lynn observed the little girl, noting how perceptive those grey eyes were. She had a feeling the petite child would be one of the best and brightest in her class. Then the teacher noticed the way Carly mumbled things to herself and noted she might not be the most popular kid on the planet.

When all the kids had been corralled, Ms. Lynn began to herd everyone inside to their classroom. Included in her bunch this year was a cluster of boys by the names of Crow, Jack, and Yusei that she often times had to watch out for back when they were still in Pre-K. Also among the swarm of children was a little girl with strange pink hued hair who often bullied people as well as a tall girl with dark hair.

"Okay, everybody! We're going to play a few games—" Ms. Lynn frowned as a little boy with bright orange hair stood up and flailed his arms and legs everywhere. He was humming something tonelessly, and everyone laughed at him.

"Crow, why are you dancing?"

The little kid shrugged and smiled mischievously. "Dunno! Just felt like it," He replied with a mischievous smile before sitting down next to his giggling friends. She blinked after the young boy's outburst.

_This is going to be an interesting year…_ Ms. Lynn thought to herself.

After many incidents as the class stumbled through name games, it was finally time for their scheduled recess break. Ms. Lynn sighed, wishing she hadn't signed the contract that made her swear off drinking.

Carly was sitting on the grass alone, just smiling and watching the other kids around her. She wasn't very good at making new friends, and she didn't really know how to approach someone and start playing with them. So she sat by herself.

Jack, on the other hand, was playing with all of his other friends. "Tag, you're it!" He cried, tapping Yusei on the shoulder. Yusei laughed before chasing after Crow determined to make the carrot top "it".

The little blonde child saw Carly sitting under a tree, staring at him and his friends. Jack remembered her from Pre-K, she was the girl that nobody liked. And when they played the picnic game where you had to say your name and a food that started with the same letter, she said cherry cheesecake. What in the world was cherry cheesecake? Cake wasn't supposed to be cheesy!

So he was curious about her. And being the inquisitive person he was, Jack ran up to her before panting, "How come you're always alone?"

She blinked in surprise before stuttering, "I-I-I don't really know… People just d-d-don't really talk to me." Her eyes were wide as she stared at the first person her own age that talked to her for the whole day.

He couldn't understand why she was looking at him like that. He also didn't understand why she couldn't seem to form words properly. "Well, maybe it's because you're so weird." Jack told her, sounding unintentionally spiteful.

Carly stared at him, eyes filling. "I'm…weird?" She asked, half to him and half to herself. "Nu-uh!" She protested, shaking her head vehemently as tears scattered around her.

"Yes-huh!" He shot back. Even at a young age, Jack was always the winner of an argument, and he didn't want to lose to _a girl_.

"Nu-uh!"

"Yes-huh!"

"Nu-uh!" She sobbed, wondering if he was telling the truth. Was she weird? Was that why nobody liked her?

Jack grinned, knowing their little fight was coming to a close as he shouted, "Yes you are!"

Carly bawled. She wanted to say something, but she just couldn't. In her five years of living, she hadn't ever been so sad. Finally, she flung at him with her eyes red and lower lip trembling, "You're… _mean!_"

"Shut up!" He said, though he didn't intend for it to come out sounding harsh. He was confused. He felt almost bad that he made this person so upset, and he really just wanted her to stop crying.

But Carly only cried harder as she choked out, "You said a mean word!"

Crow and Yusei were frowning as they ran up to their friend and asked, "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't really know!" Jack told them, feeling little tears spring up in his own eyes. But he learned from his dad that boys don't cry, so he covered up his sadness with anger, a trait he would carry on throughout his life. "But she won't shut up."

"You said it again!" She screamed hysterically, still crying.

Jack frowned. He wanted to make her feel better, but he wasn't quite sure how. He tentatively reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder and said, "I'm sorry."

She blinked and looked at him through her lashes. Her eyes were ringed with pink and she was hiccupping a bit as she asked him, "What?"

"I'm sorry." He repeated again. He was somewhat a spoiled child, and he wasn't used to having to say those words. They felt strange to him.

Carly smiled shyly. Though she was calming down, he words still broke up when she talked. "That's okay…will- will you be my… friend?" She asked slowly, not sure if she was going about this friend thing the right way.

"We'll all be your friends!" Yusei told her diplomatically.

Crow grinned and questioned, "Do you wanna play tag?"

Carly nodded and stood up before tripping. "Owie…" She muttered. Jack offered her a hand uncertainly, and she smiled before hopping up and giggling. Her newfound friends joined in with her carefree laughter as they skipped around, tagging each other without a worry in the world.

_~~~~~First Grade~~~~~_

"Ewww!" The class chorused (with the exception of a few of the more mature students), as the two people on the big TV kissed.

The teacher rolled his eyes, already knowing that was coming, it happened every year. "Class! Pay attention! It's just a kiss and you'll all be doing it someday!" He ordered, not having any patience for dealing with seven year olds that were in shock. It was almost the end of the yeah, and he was losing patience for dealing with the irritating children. Slowly but surely, the load roaring was lowered to quiet whispers.

Crow was still disgusted. He huffed, "I'm never, _ever_ gonna kiss a girl!" He shuddered, even the thought was enough to make him want to hurl. Girls were so _gross_. Carly was his friend but he wouldn't ever kiss her. Yuck.

"I'm never gonna kiss a boy!" Carly chimed in. Crow held out his hand, and she smacked it and the two of them declared, "High five!"

Jack laughed at the two of them before patronizing, "I bet you'll change your minds later."

"How do you know?" Carly challenged, putting her hands on her hips indignantly.

He grinned and boasted, "Because I just know! I always know about that stuff."

Crow teased his friend, "Maybe you just want to kiss Carly!"

Jack turned red, and angrily he spat, "I do _not_! That'd be nasty."

But when he thought about it a little bit more, maybe he should kiss Carly. He had to kiss someone eventually, so why not now and just get it over with? Maybe if it was with his friend it wouldn't be quite so bad.

Carly nodded in agreement. "People aren't supposed to kiss their friends, silly!" She reprimanded Crow, saying the exact opposite of what Jack was thinking. Then she proudly picked up her head and announced, "Besides, I already said I wasn't going to kiss a boy. So there!"

Yusei was frowning at the movie, but he didn't join in the debate. He wasn't sure if he would ever kiss a girl, and if he did, it wouldn't be for a long time. "We shouldn't be talking, we should pay attention."

Crow scowled and said, "You're no fun."

But everyone listened to the always sensible Yusei, and watched the movie in silence. Thankfully, there was no more controversy throughout the remaining forty minutes

After the movie was over, it was time for the end of the day dismissal. Sadly, the teacher assigned seats for the end of the day. He learned that after being quiet and trying to pay attention so much during the day, the kids were all riled up and hard to control; it was best not to friends to sit next to each other.

Carly was glad she could sit next to Jack. She'd be so bored if she had no one to talk to. "Are you really never gonna kiss anyone?" He asked her, wide-eyed.

"Nope! Never will! I just don't get it," She informed him. She pulled her homework folder into her backpack and grabbed her lunch box and stuff that inside her pack too.

Jack was more than a little bit confused. From what he had gathered, kissing was a part of growing up. And he was seven years old, practically ten, and it was time for _him_ to grow up. "What do you mean?"

She sighed and explained, "It just seems so goofy. Mouths are supposed to be for eating!"

He shrugged at her, brow crinkling in distaste. Quickly, before Carly could realize what was happening, Jack smashed his lips against hers. "JACK!" She shrieked before pulling her hand up to her mouth and wiping it vigorously.

The teacher ran over, wondering what was happening now. "What's going on?"

Carly pouted and pointed a finger at Jack before whining, "He kissed me!" She was still trying to get the boy germs off her, and she shuddered before glaring at Jack.

He ignored Carly because she wasn't that scary. "So?" The blonde asked Mr. Morrison, not sure what was wrong. After all, the teacher did say it was _just_ a kiss and that it didn't really matter. What was the issue?

Crow got out of his seat and sprinted over to his other friends, eyes wide. "He did _what?_ EW!"

"Crow, go sit down," The teacher sighed, feeling rather overwhelmed. And when he didn't listen, he kind of just wanted to bang his own as well as Crow's head against the wall.

Jack frowned, still not understanding what all the fuss was about. "I kissed her," he informed the spastic boy.

And of course, at this point, the room was so full of chaos that the teacher was screaming in order to be heard. This was as much excitement that ever happened with first graders.

"Why did you _do_ that?" Crow asked over the noise, utterly confounded.

The teacher cleared his throat after the class had finally calmed down and repeated rather uncomfortably, "Yes, Jack, why did you do that?"

"To see what it was like!" The little boy replied. He didn't like everyone staring at him so strangely. He shifted from foot to foot, just wanting to go home.

Carly glared at him before telling him haughtily, "You should have asked first!"

He shook his head stubbornly. "You would have said no!"

She turned her back to him, determined not to talk to him for the whole day. She touched her mouth again, frowning. She wiped her lips one more time.

Meanwhile, Jack was wondering why he thought that was a good idea. It wasn't as great as everyone made it out to be. He tapped Carly on the shoulder who merely said, "Hmph!" And proceeded to talk to Crow and Yusei. Jack sighed.

The teacher on the other hand, was even more miserable than the two children. _Why did I have to get stuck with the little kids?_ He asked himself before groaning.

At that moment, he decided never to play that movie again. Ever.

_~~~~~Second Grade~~~~~_

"I'm not very good at this." Carly observed, brow crinkling. "This is so _silly_." She said, as though calling something silly was the worst possible insult.

The P.E teacher frowned as she watched the little girl. She was speaking the truth. Most of the little kids absolutely hated to have her on their team no matter what game they were playing because, well, Carly wasn't very coordinated. She was at that awkward stage where her legs and arms were really long and wasn't yet used to her disproportional limbs.

Jack smiled at her and said, "You aren't really that bad! Maybe we'll be on the same team or something! And then nothing will happen to you."

Carly grinned back at her best friend. "Yeah!" But then she frowned. "I'm still not very good…"

Jack shrugged and opened his mouth to say something until the teacher blew her whistle. "Let's go, kids!"

All the children crowded around the front of the gym, waiting eagerly for the P.E teacher to tell them what they would be doing that day. "The game for today is dodge ball!" All the kids cheered, all of them except for Carly.

See, dodge ball was Carly's least favorite game (other than kickball). Everyone always tried to get her out within the first few seconds and she always ended up getting hit several times with the foamy missiles. She scowled as they stood in line.

"Picking teams today will be Jack and Yusei." The two boys smiled at each other. They were always particularly competitive, always had been since they had met one another.

The two boys walked to stand beside their teacher who pulled out a coin. "Yusei, call heads or tails." He chose tails, but the coin landed in the palm of the teacher's hand head side up. "Alright, Jack, you can pick first."

Carly always thought this was the very worst part. Even to a little girl, getting picked last every time was really hurtful. Of course, as soon as the class was over she forgot all about the trauma of P.E, but those forty-five minutes in the gym every day were _torture._

And Jack hated seeing his friends feel sad. He'd always been fiercely protective over those he cared about, something most children at that age couldn't possibly understand. So in order to maintain Carly's happiness during the class, Jack declared, "Carly!"

She looked up from the floor, astonished. "Me?" She asked in a mixture of confusion and excitement. When her friend nodded, she literally jumped for joy and ran over to her much taller friend. She hugged him and said, "Thanks, Jack!"

Yusei went on to pick Akiza, a girl who hated pretty much everyone except for him and another boy going by the name of Sayer. The pinkette walked to stand next to him, before glaring maliciously at the rest of the kids.

Crow looked at the teams enviously. You see, Crow was more or less banned from participating in the games. He tended to get a little out of control and hard to handle for the rest of the day. Not to mention more than a little violent.

"Okay, when I blow my whistle, you can start," The teacher declared, and all the kids lined up on opposite sides of the gym. When she saw that all the people were ready to begin, she lifted the whistle to her lips and a high pitched keening reached everyone ears.

And sure enough, everyone on Yusei's team targeted poor Carly. Yusei himself smiled apologetically at her, while Akiza laughed deviously before picking up her own weapon, ready to aim. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the worst. But… nothing hit her. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw Jack standing in front of her.

"Wh-what? Why did you do that?" She whispered.

At the moment, everyone in the gym was equally surprised at the sacrifice Jack made. Jack snorted and told her, "I said nothing would happen. Plus I saw that happen in a movie once. I thought it looked cool," He shrugged, unconcerned.

While the little boy might not have understood the magnitude of the act he just performed, the gym teacher did. She stared, openmouthed, wondering how someone so young could have such a strong sense of devotion and concern for one of their friends to do something like that. She shook her head in amazement.

He trudged off to the sidelines, staring crossly at all the people who launched balls at him. Akiza stuck out her tongue at him while Yusei merely grinned. Crow laughed from the sidelines cheekily. "Thanks!" Carly shouted to her friend across the gym.

Of course, Jack's bravery was kind of pointless. Because as soon as everyone on Yusei's team got the opportunity, they sent Carly over to sit next to her friend. She smiled at Jack, and the two of them talked about things that were important to kids: the new backpack Jack got, how Carly's new juice boxes were weird, and of course, when it would be time for recess.

It wasn't long before Jack was called back in, being the best player on the team. He stood up and whooped before running in. Carly cheered for him from her seat. After awhile, Crow sneaked over to sit by Carly and the two cheered for their blonde friend together.

The gym teacher smiled in amusement as Carly animatedly screamed encouragement for her friend with a wide smile on her face. At some point, Jack turned to her and smiled before focusing on the game. _Young love…_ She thought to herself before reminiscing about her first schoolyard romance.

_~~~~~~~~Third Grade~~~~~~~~~_

"Jack, you're going to be late on your first day of school!" His mother Martha scolded. He looked up at her and didn't say anything; he just burrowed under the covers some more. The woman frowned before saying chirpily, "C'mon, time for you to get up!" She yanked the blanked off him.

He peeped up at her before slowly crawling out of bed. He ran to the bathroom and brushed his teeth and pulled on some school clothes. Martha stepped into to room and sighed, "You don't match, sweetie."

But Jack didn't really care, he just kept moving wordlessly. Martha smiled fondly at her son. He was never a morning person, and he always hated the first day of school. Most kids were excited to see their old friends, but he hated that it was marking waking up at seven in the morning for five out of seven days a week.

Miserably, he walked out the door, squinting in the sunlight. He arrived at the bus stop and climbed aboard, trying to ignore all the screaming. "Jack!" Someone squealed, and he looked and saw Carly sitting alone.

She patted the seat next to her, and he sat down. Carly grinned. She was used to him being grumpy in the morning, but she didn't care. She was so excited to see him that she talked to him even though he didn't respond very much at first. Actually, he didn't respond at all, he kind of ignored her and nodded his head.

However, slowly but surely, he started to reply, though not in the way he usually did. When Carly told him she missed him, he grumpily said, "How nice for you, I didn't miss you talking so much."

Carly stared at her friend, wide-eyed. Everyone knew Jack was kind of mean, but he was never, _ever_ mean to Carly. No one really knew why, but he was always a lot nicer to the dark-haired girl. But on that day, he was snapping at her like she was his worst enemy. "I-I'm sorry, Jack." She whispered. "I can switch seats at the next stop if you want."

He glared at her, taking in her shell-shocked facial expression and he sighed, feeling guilty for upsetting one of his best friends. "No, don't. I just missed breakfast today."

The girl sitting next to him blinked. Then, she started to giggle. "Oh, that's all?"

Crossly, he responded, "What do you mean that's all? I'm bigger than you so I need more food!"

She looked up at him, and admitted to herself that he was right. Jack _was_ a lot taller than her, and he probably did need more food. Sympathetically, she told him, "I know." Then she laughed a bit more, despite the glowers she received from him. "It's just… well, I got used to you always forgetting to eat on the first day of school!" She pulled something out of her new keychain-adorned backpack and offered it to him.

And then Jack grinned. He reached over and hugged Carly, much to everyone's shock. Jack didn't hug people. He allowed certain people, mainly Carly, to hug him, but he wasn't much of an affectionate person and he was never the first o initiate physical contact with amyone. But at that moment, he couldn't help it. She gave him _food_ so he wouldn't _die._ "Now I won't starve to death!"

"You wouldn't have starved," She said rationally, but smiled anyway.

For awhile, he just observed the bag his breakfast came in. It was normal brown paper packaging, but decorated with all kinds of stickers. There were motorcycles and cool cars and other stuff Jack loved.

Eventually, his hunger got the best of him and he opened the bag. He stared as he breathed, "No way. You brought me Pop-tarts!" When she nodded vigorously, he tore open the package and stuffed half of the pasty into his mouth. "Fese are my fafrits!" Jack muttered around his food.

"I know they're you're favorites, that's why I brought them." She told him in a 'duh' tone. "Stop holding them so high, we're gonna get in trouble!"

He shrugged. Jack and Crow got in trouble all the time. (Crow more for not listening, and Jack for making other kids cry.) "Oh well, what's the worst that can happen? We'll get minutes off recess, big deal!"

"I don't like getting minutes of recess," She informed, crossing her arms over her chest to let him know she was being very, _very_ serious.

Still shoving food in his mouth, he shrugged again. If Carly cared about getting in trouble, then he'd try really hard not to get caught. After all, she did bring him the food he was eating.

Sure enough, Jack stopped being cranky and actually socialized with his friend. They talked about their vacations over the summer and other things.

The two sat quietly as Jack finished eating, and then he turned and cautiously told her, "Hey… thanks."

She beamed at him and exclaimed, "No problem! That's what friends are for, right?"

He nodded, and then he promised that if Carly ever forgot her lunch, Jack would share with her. And maybe he'd even let her have his gummies.

_~~~~~~~~Fourth Grade~~~~~~~~~_

Grades weren't something that mattered very much to Jack. He always thought he'd get a job that would make him famous, and other people would scream his name and glorify him. Therefore, though he was smart, he didn't think it was necessary to excel in school.

Carly, on the other hand, valued school a lot. Even as a little girl, she knew she wanted to be a reporter. There was something special in being able to document other people trying their hardest, it always made her want to strive to do her best as well. And thus, she worked very hard to maintain good marks.

The teacher noted all of this as well as the fact that the two were strangely close. Actually, all of them were. Carly, Jack, Crow, and Yusei were all inseparable, a pack of friends that were loyal to a fault.

So, observing the two children's report cards, the teacher made a decision. "Jack, Carly! Please come up to the front of the class."

Surprised, Jack picked up his head and walked to the front. For once, he didn't do anything wrong and felt that he didn't deserve to feel the embarrassment of being called on in front of everybody.

Carly was even more surprised and nearly hyperventilated. She'd never gotten one of those slips of paper sent home; the ones that meant you'd done something wrong. Upon seeing the girl's reaction, the teacher said, "You aren't in trouble." Carly breathed a sigh of relief.

When the two reached the teacher's desk, she spoke in a low tone. "Now, Jack. Your mother is a little bit concerned about your mathematics grade." He groaned and kicked the floor, not saying anything to the teacher.

"Carly, you seem to understand math very well, so I was wondering, if you would mind helping Jack?" The teacher asked, smiling reassuringly.

Carly smiled before bashfully turning to her friend. "Would that be okay?" She asked Jack.

He was still upset that his mom betrayed him and called the school. He wanted to be a racecar driver or something exciting, not a boring mathemagician or whatever it was called. "I guess," He told her, with an underlying complaint in his voice.

"Alright, that's settled then! You can start by helping him with adding fractions with uncommon denominators." The teacher instructed, and the two kids walked back to their seats.

Jack stared glumly as everyone else went outside during extra recess. He wanted to be out there, throwing a basketball back and forth. He didn't want to be stuck inside. Carly frowned, seeing her friend's wistful gaze. "Um, should we get started? Maybe if we finish early you can go outside!"

He perked up slightly at the thought before pulling out his math workbook. Carly teased him when she saw how banged up it was. The corners were bent, and pages were torn in half. He muttered something about "Dad ran over it with the lawnmower".

Carly opened the book to the current unit and started trying to explain the way it worked. "Well, what you have to do is multiply the bottom number by something and then multiply the other bottom number by a different number so the denominators have the same number!"

He stared at her blankly. She frowned. Teaching was a lot harder than it looked. "Hm…" She mumbled, trying to explain to him while she performed the steps. Still, he looked at her like he had no idea what she was talking about.

They sat there for awhile, with Jack making no progress. They tried everything, and still, nothing. Finally getting frustrated with herself, Carly pouted and said, "I just don't know how to explain this! It's just so easy, and—"

"Well, it's not easy for me!" Jack yelled, feeling even more aggravated than Carly. "I know that you understand it, but I still don't because I'm too stupid!"

Her jaw dropped a little bit and she felt strangely guilty. "Jack… you aren't stupid!" She reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm just a bad teacher."

He rolled his eyes and spluttered, "How can you be a bad teacher if you're so smart?"

She shrugged and he muttered darkly, "Yeah, exactly."

Carly frowned, not meaning to upset him. "Stop that! You aren't stupid just because you don't understand one thing."

He didn't ever admit it before then, but he realized he was jealous of Carly. She was so smart, and all the teachers loved her and thought she was capable of doing anything with her life. And he was failing math, something that upset Martha greatly. And then when she tried to help, whenever anyone tried to help him, he still didn't understand.

Carly didn't understand either. Jack was never someone that struck her as insecure, he was always so sure of everything and she wished she could be more like him. "You know what? Let's stop and take a break!" She declared before dragging him outside.

The teacher frowned, wondering why Jack made Carly go outside. She walked over to them and scolded, "Jack, you're supposed to be working."

Carly lifted her chin and boldly said, "No, this was _my_ idea. I made him come outside." It was the first time she'd ever gone out of her way to defy the authority she'd been placed under, and she figured she might as well do a good job. She continued, "I thought he needed a break."

The older lady smiled at the two children and reminded herself they were just that: children. And kids needed breaks, no matter how far they were behind. So Carly and Jack ran off to go play something. "I didn't mean to yell at you."

She smiled brightly and told him, "I know! We'll figure out how to teach you math in no time!"

Jack wasn't so sure, but he nodded anyway. But then he remembered that Carly was his friend and would do anything she could to help him do well. So he smiled back.

_~~~~~~~~~Fifth Grade~~~~~~~~~_

When she heard the words "group of three" Carly felt like crying. She sat all alone as her three friends began to talk about what country they wanted to do for their project.

Lately, the three boys had begun to exclude Carly a bit. She told her mom about it and Danielle assured her with a knowing smile that it was just a part of getting older and that sometime soon, Jack would remember how special Carly was and they'd be best friends again. But so far, that hadn't happened yet.

She was already expecting something of this nature to happen. She'd be by herself while the boys talked about boy things that Carly "couldn't understand because she's a girl".

When Jack saw Carly staring at her usual social group with sad grey eyes, he frowned and she averted her gaze, feeling her eyes filling with tears. Who was she supposed to work with now?

She pulled her face in her knees. After a few moments, she felt a light tap on her shoulder and she picked up her head to see a girl standing near her. She was very pretty and very tall, with long dark hair and a delicate smile. There was something cryptic in her eyes, though there was also kindness in her gaze. "Hello. My name's Misty."

Carly smiled hesitantly and said, "I-I'm… Carly."

"Nice to meet you, Carly," Misty declared, offering her hand to shake. Carly stared at it in wonder before performing the traditional courtesy. "Do you want to be in a group with me and Akiza?"

Akiza was sitting by herself as well, staring at Yusei with longing. Akiza used to hate everyone, but then she started talking to Yusei, and she softened quite a bit. She even spoke to Carly in a civilized way and tried not to terrorize everyone as much.

But now she was like Carly. Ditched and alone.

Slowly, she replied, "I'd like that."

Misty grinned at her briefly and exclaimed, "Great!" She ran off to the teacher and Carly began to walk over to Akiza with a slight smile on her face.

"Hi, Akiza," Carly jerked her hand in an awkward wave.

Akiza slowly turned to her and asked, "You're one of Yusei's friends, right?" Carly nodded, and Akiza smiled. "Carly's your name, and you like Jack just as much as I like Yusei. I wish they didn't have their little group," She murmured, staring at the three friends.

Carly blushed a little and told her, "It's okay. I'm glad they're all friends." But like Akiza, she wished Jack would talk to her as much as he used to. She hoped her mom was right and that their friendship would return to normal shortly.

"Yeah, I guess." Akiza responded, hazel eyes swimming with jealousy and wistfulness as she continued to bore holes in Yusei's head.

Misty then came running back and stated, "I signed us up for Japan. I've always wanted to go there." The other two girls said that was fine, and they all started planning what sort of project they wanted to do. "We could do some sort of runway modeling show!" Misty suggested brightly.

Carly frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea," She flushed and plowed on, "I'd probably trip or something and embarrass myself."

There was an awkward silence until finally all three girls began to laugh. Carly felt someone staring at her, and she turned to see a pair of vibrant violet eyes. She smiled at Jack before turning back to her new friends, ignoring the look he shot her.

"Is he mad that you're talking to us?" Misty asked her, an evident curiosity embedded in her voice.

The thought was surprising to Carly. "I don't think so. Why would he be?" Her brow crinkled in confusion.

Akiza frowned and offered, "Does he _like_ you?"

That thought was even _more_ surprising to Carly. Jack? Like her? Immediately, she started waving her hands, face bright pink. "Oh no, of course not!"

Misty grinned at the much shorter girl. She was so painfully obviously in denial. There was no such thing as a girl who was 'just friends' with a boy, even in only fifth grade. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Carly stated vehemently, nodding her head so sharply the other two girls were worried it would come detached from her body. "Besides, I thought it was more interesting that Akiza liked Yusei, right Akiza?" She questioned, attempting to deflect some of the attention off herself.

And it worked. Akiza blushed, but unlike Carly, she whispered, "Don't tell anyone, okay?"

Both Carly and Misty were glad Akiza didn't deny the truth. It was quite clear to everyone that Akiza was mad about Yusei, and unlike Carly, was fully aware of her feelings.

Misty smiled and held a finger to her lips and said, "Your secret's safe." The girls all giggled, and Carly felt Jack staring at her again. "Quick, the teacher's coming!"

Carly pulled out a notebook and started babbling about random things she learned from the textbook and TV about Japan. "And there's lots of sushi there! And-and they wear robe things and they…" She trailed off as the teacher walked away, smiling approvingly.

"What would we do without you?"

The girls all beamed. "I don't really know but… um, maybe we should actually start working."

They all agreed, so Carly sneaked in one last glance at Jack. He'd always be her best friend, but she was glad to be hanging out with different people. She wasn't very good at approaching others, and she was content with having few friends, but now… now she had girl friends.

Jack was not glad she was making new friends. Was that what it felt like to be ignored? Just earlier, Carly was the one staring at him sadly, missing his presence. The tables had turned though, and now he wished she'd talk to him.

After class, Carly started to walk away with Misty and Akiza when Jack stopped her. "Carly, do you want to play with me at recess?"

She bit her lip and glanced at both of the groups of friends. She didn't want to leave Misty and Akiza because she knew what that was like. On the other hand, she missed Jack a lot. Finally, she quietly told him, "We'll all play together."

The thought had never crossed any of their minds. Play together? But Yusei nodded and said, "Sounds fine with me." Akiza smiled at that.

Carly shuffled along to keep up with the girls, but she looked back at the blonde boy. "See you guys later!" She announced, already excited to play with _all _of her friends.

_~~~~~~~~~Sixth Grade~~~~~~~~~_

"Carly, I'm sorry, but you have terrible eyesight." Carly frowned at the words of her optometrist. "I don't know how you managed to survive without glasses before this point, but I'm going to have to assign you a prescription."

She had been managing without glasses for over six months. Her eyes started to get worse and worse, until it got to the point where she didn't recognize her mom and punched her because she thought she was going to be abducted.

The scowl on her face deepened. She really didn't want to get glasses, kids with glasses got made fun of, and she was determined to never turn into one of them. "But what about contacts?" She tried not to let herself be too hopeful, in case for some reason the lenses wouldn't suit her eye type.

And much to her dismay, the eye doctor shook his head. "I apologize, but you have something called astigmatism. If it gets bad enough, you can't wear contacts. Your eye isn't shaped quite right for the use of contacts, and you're going to need trifocals."

"_Tri_focals?" Danielle exclaimed incredulously. "I've heard of bifocals, but trifocals?"

The doctor nodded grimly. "I've never seen anything like this in a person of such a young age, but there's a good chance that if you don't get the proper glasses now, you're going to need to get some sort of surgery when you get older."

Carly trembled a bit when she heard the mention of an operation. With all her tripping, she'd endured getting stitches and broken limbs which were both pretty awful, but someone poking around on her eyes? That sounded even worse. She sighed. "I guess I have to get the stupid glasses," She mumbled angrily.

She didn't want to start sixth grade this way. It was supposed to be the start of middle school, an exciting segment of her life. When she outgrew being a child and moved on to being a _pre-teen_. She was supposed to get prettier, not uglier.

The doctor wrote something down on a slip of paper, and Carly and her mother walked toward the reception area. The lady working the computer charged her mom (who looked like she might pass out when she saw the bill) and they were on their way. "Okay, your glasses should arrive in about three weeks!" The receptionist said, smiling way too perkily.

_Oh great, just in time for school to start._ Carly acknowledged frightfully.

When the two were in the car heading home, Carly was being uncharacteristically quiet. Her mother frowned. _I hope she's not getting to that 'I have no self-esteem' stage in her life…_ "Carly, it'll be fine! Some people look really nice with glasses."

"And some people don't," Carly muttered under her breath, glaring out the window, trying to make some tree wilt under her fierce stare.

Danielle gave up trying to make any sort of conversation with her daughter and frowned. She probably should have been focusing on driving anyway.

Once the women of the family arrived home, Carly darted upstairs to her room before pulling out a calendar. She circled the date her glasses were supposed to arrive and she drew a huge sad face on the date.

Every day that passed, she would cross out the date. She wanted to brace herself when the time had come for her to get glasses. She tried to think positively about the whole ordeal, but she just couldn't. She'd seen pictures of trifocals and they were _not_ pretty. At all.

It was only a week before her first day in the sixth grade when she got the call from the eye doctor. Unfortunately, her glasses had arrived. There was silence in the small car as they drove to pick them up.

There was a scowl on Carly's face as she walked into the optometrist's office. When the receptionist pulled out the glasses, Carly almost cried, right then and there. They were absolutely ridiculous. Every bit as bad as the pictures she'd seen _and worse._

They looked almost like bulls-eyes. There was a small dot in the center with one prescription, a ring around that with a different prescription, and another ring with a different prescription. With a shaking hand, she reached out and put the spectacles on.

She stared at herself in the mirror. Without a word, she ran out the door, sniffling a bit. She was so unbelievably ugly. So stupid-looking.

_On the plus side, at least I can see._ She thought bitterly to herself. It had been awhile since she could see the world with such a crystal-clear clarity, and it was overwhelming at first. To look at the world and see everything with a sharp precision as opposed to everything blurring together was very different. Under different circumstances, Carly probably would have grinned as she took in her surroundings.

But not on that day.

Her mother soon came outside and told her child, "Don't cry, sweetie, it's—"

"I wasn't crying!" Carly protested.

Her mom nodded before smiling fondly at the dark haired girl. She pushed her bangs out of her face affectionately and said, "Come on, I have a surprise waiting for you at home."

Carly smiled a bit as she climbed into the car. For a little bit, the glasses on her face were forgotten as she wondered what could possibly be waiting for her at her house. Was it a new camera? A laptop to type articles on? She bounced in her seat eagerly as they pulled into the driveway.

She hopped out of the car and ran inside, only to have her eyes widen in a mixture of embarrassment, shock, and terror. "Jack!" She screamed before immediately running upstairs.

Jack was confused, to say the least. He knew Carly was always a little bit strange (which was one of the reasons they were friends) but her reaction to seeing him there was just… bizarre. He stood there, unsure of what to do.

Slowly, he began climbing up the steps. Halfway up the staircase, he broke out into a run, slightly anxious to see why she was so upset. And he was more than a little curious to find out what was on her face.

He pounded on the door that he knew was hers, only to be met with a strong, "Go away!"

Rolling his eyes at her dramatic and cliché announcement, he told her, "Carly, it's me."

There was a slight pause until she quietly responded, "I said go away."

Jack was surprised. Carly normally didn't act that way, especially toward her friends. She was always happy and bubbly, and not upset and angry. "C'mon, just let me in," He demanded somewhat impatiently.

A much longer pause hung in the air until finally Jack got a reply. "Let me in _please_?"

His lips twitched up in a smirk. That was more like it. "Fine. Please let me in."

For awhile, nothing happened and Jack wondered if maybe Carly changed her mind. Eventually, though, the door opened, and he was met with a twirl of movement and suddenly he was looking down at the back of Carly's head. "Turn around," he ordered before adding on, "please."

"No." She said stubbornly, shaking her head. She didn't want anyone to see her, and it was so embarrassing that her mother would invite her closest friend over when she was in a state of self-doubt.

Then she had an idea. She pulled the frames off her face and put them down on the desk. She frowned as the world became unfocused, but she didn't mind. She turned to her friend, squinting a bit in a failed attempt to make out his face.

"What did you just take off?" He interrogated sharply, walking around to her desk.

"Nothing, nothing!" Carly shouted in an attempt to make him turn back around. Her cheeks heated up in embarrassment as he stared at the frames sitting on her desk.

He faced her with an expression of bewilderment mixed with disbelief. "Is this why you ran away from me? Because of a pair of _glasses_?"

She looked down at the blue carpeted floor. "Well, yeah. They're embarrassing," she mumbled.

"Don't they help you see?" He asked her, still sounding incredulous. When she nodded he commanded, "Then put them on!"

She frowned before objecting, "But I don't want…" She trailed off, seeing his facial expression. "Fine." She pouted, placing the glasses on the bridge of her nose.

Carly wanted to die when Jack started to laugh. Her eyes welled up and she quietly said, "See? I'm ugly."

He stopped laughing abruptly. "No you're not. They're a stupid pair of glasses, so? It's not like I care," He said in an offhand way. "You're still you, just with better vision."

"Then why would you laugh at me?" Carly asked, now turning indignant. He had no right!

He grinned. "You look confused."

She turned to look in the mirror before she laughed too. "I do, don't I?" She giggled louder, noting the way her glasses looked an awful lot like the way characters in cartoons looked when puzzled. "That's kind of cool!"

Jack nodded before teasing lightly, "And appropriate."

Carly reached over and tossed a pillow at him. Or, she tried to toss a pillow at him but missed terribly and threw her pillow out the window. "Oh no!" She shouted as her pillow landed on her neighbor from across the street.

"How did you throw it that hard?" Jack asked, mildly impressed.

"I don't really know!" She told him before dashing down the stairs. When he didn't follow she turned to him. "Well, are you coming or not?"

He smiled a bit before chasing after her. She looked back at him and smiled brightly.

Her mom watched as the two kids fought over the pillow, Jack hitting her lightly in the head while she begged for him to give it back. She then decided inviting him over was the best decision she ever made when she saw how happy he made Carly.

**(A/N) Alright. So, I was originally planning on having this be one giant oneshot with grades k-graduation, but I'm going to have to divide it into two sections. As it is right now, this is the largest chapter I've ever written at nearly 8,000 words and 15 pages single spaced on word, though the next one is going to be even longer…**

**First of all, I really wanted to have this finished before I left to go on a trip, so I was rushing to get it done at the last minute. I feel like the quality of my writing was suffering **_**severely**_**, so I'm going to post this part before I go, and then maybe a week or so after I get back, I'll upload the second part. Unless nobody wants to read the second part, of course :P**

**By the way, THANK YOU SO MUCH for 50 reviews :) It means a lot to me!  
**


	14. Sweet, Sweet Normalcy: Part Two

**(A/N) I'm glad the last chapter (or first portion) of this was well received… I was a bit concerned, but I'm happy you liked it :)**

**And I'm sorry this took so long to get up, I kept going out of town randomly (memorial service, visiting friends, visiting family, etc.) **

_~~~~~~~~~Seventh Grade~~~~~~~~~_

Carly sat from the back of the classroom with Misty, watching as several people walked up to her best friend and told him happy birthday. She was nodding absently to something her friend said, though she wasn't really paying as much attention to Misty as she should. She was too preoccupied with feeling slightly jealous.

"Hey, you're kind of out of it, you okay?" Misty asked Carly, concern masking her annoyance that her friend wasn't really paying attention to her.

The girl in the glasses smiled at Misty and said, "Oh yeah, I'm fine…"

Misty rolled her eyes dramatically. "No, you're not." She noticed that Carly was staring at Jack _again_. "If you want to go talk to him, you can. Those other people will just get over it."

Carly bit her lip anxiously before explaining, "No, I can't. He's busy, I don't want to bother him."

"Don't you think he'd be upset if you didn't tell him happy birthday even though all those people who don't even know him did?" Misty asked.

Carly looked at Misty, wondering how she managed to always act so much older than her age. However, in this case, Misty was very wrong. "Please. Jack doesn't get upset."

Misty smiled softly and nudged her in his direction. "But you do. And if not talking to him is making you feel bad, then go talk to him!" She giggled. She knew Carly was nuts about Jack, even if she didn't admit it yet. She also knew that Jack felt the same way about her and he definitely wouldn't admit it...

But she only shook her head sadly. "I can't, Misty." Glancing at the hordes of people around him, she added. "Besides, he doesn't really need me anymore."

"He'll always need you, Carly." Misty assured her before lightly shoving her toward Jack again. "Go on."

Carly glared at her friend, but walked to Jack anyway. "Hi, Jack," She told the blonde boy, pushing her way through the crowd of girls around him. She muttered an apology as she stepped on one girl's foot. "Happy birthday!" She chirped, unable to keep herself from smiling when he turned his eyes to her.

He nodded his head in gratitude, and her heart sped up a bit. She tripped when she walked to sit next to him, and her cheeks flamed. He chuckled in amusement as the other girls stared her down, wondering why such a clumsy girl earned so much of Jack's attention. "Thanks." He said coolly before offering a hand and pulling her off the ground.

Jack was a little bit surprised that Carly told him happy birthday. For the past few weeks, whenever Jack was around other people, she'd just look at him and walk away quickly when he caught her gazing at him. He sort of missed her, despite all the company that came with being popular. Sure, he had Crow and Yusei, but when Carly absent from the group, there was _something_ missing.

"Can I please have some space?" Jack asked in annoyance as a few girls 'accidentally' brushed up against him. Immediately, the crowd dispersed. "They're so annoying."

Carly's eyes widened. "But… I thought you liked being popular!"

"I do, but it gets old sometimes," He said, succeeding in confusing Carly immensely. "They'd probably all turn on me if they got the chance. They aren't real friends."

She blinked, still surprised and slightly confused. "But what about Crow and Yusei?"

Jack sighed. "Look, Carly. Can I say something?"

"Uh, yeah, of course, Jack!" Carly replied, feeling even more lost than ever. She tried reading his facial expression, but lately, the only things she could decipher out of his strangely hued eyes were anger and frustration.

He heaved another sigh, and Carly could tell that what he was going to say would probably kill him. "I still…" He faltered before trying again. "I still want you to… hang around."

"Even if you have all those other people?" She tipped her head to the side. When he nodded, she couldn't help but feel a mixture of happiness and surprise.

Jack glanced at her, and smiled ever so slightly when she beamed at him. She reached over and hugged him, and slowly he wrapped his arms around her in response. He'd gotten used to having little contact with people when he started to draw away from his parents, so being hugged by someone was a bit foreign and odd. He didn't really mind though, after all, it was Carly.

"Hi Yusei! Hey Crow!" Carly told her friends, still grinning when the two boys walked up to stand next to their friend.

Crow smiled back devilishly, "Been awhile since you talked to us. Converted to one of Jack's fangirls?"

Carly blushed a bright pink hue and she protested, "Crow! Don't be so stupid!" She glanced up at Jack, hoping that he wouldn't take Crow's comment too seriously. After all, she did _not_ like Jack. No way.

Jack, on the other hand, was used to getting this sort of comment from Crow. So he simply smacked Crow on the back of the head and muttered, "You say that like it's possible."

The carrot top laughed, still sounding suspiciously mischievous, and Yusei shook his head both in amusement and annoyance. He was always the most mature out of the whole group, old beyond his years as a result of his father's death.

Akiza and Misty walked up to Carly, while the girl with pinkish hair turned to Yusei and smiled shyly. "Hey." He nodded his head to her, and irritation flashed across her face. She didn't know what Carly did to make Jack notice her so much.

_Or maybe Yusei's just impossibly dense,_ Akiza thought to herself wryly.

Carly found herself feeling a lot happier than she had in a long, long time. She hadn't talked to Jack in what felt like forever, and it was strangely gratifying to know that he still wanted her around.

The cluster of friends all laughed and talked about typical middle-school hot topics, who liked who, who got their first kiss last Friday, and other important things in a pre-teens life.

When Jack looked at Carly and saw how happy she was instead of the gloomy facial expressions she wore when not talking to him, his heart twisted in knots a bit. He shook the feeling off though and told himself strongly that Carly was his friend. _Just_ his friend.

_~~~~~~~~~Eighth Grade~~~~~~~~~_

The two girls in yearbook were amused as they went over the pictures taken. "I like that one," Misty said, indicating to picture number forty-seven. Akiza nodded in agreement and they printed out the picture.

"Crow!" Akiza shouted. In just a few seconds, Crow was there. He'd learned than when Akiza wanted something, it was best not to make her wait. "What about this?" She asked impatiently.

Crow demonically laughed. "Perfect…" He muttered, and Misty and Akiza both exchanged glances.

Misty coughed a bit. "What exactly are you on?"

"Nothing," he said, though still smiled almost creepily. "And if I recall, part of this was _your_ idea," He pointed out, thinking that for once he was making a good argument.

Akiza glared at him and fought back, "Don't pin this on us. I'm pretty sure this whole thing was your idea and we just readily agreed to it."

The troublemaker didn't respond, and Akiza smirked in victory. Crows eyes widened as he stared at the picture. "Wait, is this picture of them in woodshop_?_ Who let _Carly_ join _woodshop_? You do know that woodshop involves many dangerous tools? Potentially life-threatening tools in the hands of our beloved clumsy friend?" He asked incredulously.

"It was Jack's idea." Misty answered. "I know, I didn't think it was a good idea either, but he said he'd make sure she didn't saw off her hand or anyone else's."

Crow executed a perfect facepalm. "I bet that's why he has that weird scar on his hand! She probably tripped and drilled a hole through his palm."

"Possibly." Akiza grinned. "Too bad she couldn't have drilled a hole through that thick skull of his."

Crow shuddered. "So violent…" He muttered, only half-joking.

Misty frowned, just realizing something. "Hey, won't we get in trouble for putting this in the yearbook?"

"No," Crow replied quickly. "I got it approved by the school board."

Akiza scrutinized him and saw he was fidgeting slightly. "Yeah right, you little liar!"

"So what, we might get into a little bit of trouble. Though I think if we'd be in trouble, it'd be with Jack's fangirls."

The girls flinched. They'd both had plenty of encounters with the Jack Atlas Fan Club. When you made them mad, they weren't a fun group to be around, especially when the hair-pulling started up. "You make it sound like that's better."

Crow shrugged. "Well at least that way Jack would be able to make them leave us alone. Hopefully they won't jump Carly…"

Misty's eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't even think of that!"

"Oh well, what's done is done!" Crow smiled, admiring his work and ignoring the glares he got from Carly's best friends.

Akiza was still glowering when she informed, "If they assault Carly, I'm telling them it was all _your_ idea." She laughed when Crow flinched.

A few weeks later, all of the yearbooks were published. Carly picked one up after paying Misty and Akiza, the day's designated yearbook managers. They had been out for a few days, and Carly kept forgetting to bring her money, despite the fact that Misty, Akiza, and Crow were constantly reminding her to buy one.

Jack, on the other hand, was doing everything he could to convince her _not_ to buy one of the yearbooks. Carly frowned as she noticed the blonde sitting in the corner. When he wasn't desperately attempting to convince her not to pick up a yearbook, he'd been avoiding her. She couldn't figure out what she'd done to upset him.

Carly never looked at her yearbook during class, she was always afraid she'd get it taken away. Actually, she was more afraid that one of her classmates would snatch it and read her signatures, something she always hated. Granted she hadn't gotten anyone to sign her yearbook yet, but she planned on keeping the rather thick book.

When she got to lunch, she flipped open the book. She giggled at some of the pictures of her classmates, at some she frowned. Carly was having a great time, and was just about to congratulate her friends who put the whole thing together when she saw the page.

The page that was full of pictures of Jack and Carly. There were photos of them sitting next to each other, him helping her when she fell down, him rolling her eyes while she smiled cheekily. The page that had "Cutest Couple: Jack and Carly" written as the heading.

"Wha-what is this?" Carly exclaimed, her face turning beet red. "Why-why would you guys do something like this?"

Her friends tried not to laugh when they saw how murderous she was. Even Yusei grinned for a split second. Eventually, as her anger ebbed she just whispered in horror, "Is this why he's been ignoring me?"

Everyone was startled to say the least. How Carly could look so angry and hurt but couldn't even find it in her to shout at people, they didn't know. Misty answered, "We didn't know he was ignoring you."

She walked away, deciding that if she responded she'd say something really mean that she'd regret. Akiza whacked Crow on the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Well, we had to blame someone," She replied hotly, slapping him again.

"Ow!" He shouted again. "Seriously, use your words!" Crow whined. Despite the fact that he didn't mention anything, he actually felt pretty bad. Somehow, Carly's quiet anger was even worse than Jack's explosion the cluster of friends had previously faced.

Yusei frowned before gently reprimanding, "Akiza, you should really stop hitting him before he passes out." She said nothing and settled for glowering at hyperactive redhead.

Carly couldn't remember being so flustered and upset. It was one thing to tease her about liking Jack when they were in their own group, but it was another thing to be humiliated in front of the whole school because everyone knew Carly and Jack weren't dating. Her own peers broke the friendship she and Jack had.

She was pretty mad at Jack too. Why would he let something so silly get in the way of their friendship? And not for the first time, Carly wondered why the two were friends. They were too different to be compatible in any way.

"Have you been ignoring me about this?" She asked him, not even sparing him a hello.

He glanced at the yearbook shoved in front of his face and grimaced. "I haven't been ignoring you. You haven't been talking to me."

"Yeah, because I know you're avoiding me!" Carly exclaimed. She knew she made a good point when Jack said nothing, only looked off at some random sign posted on the side of the school.

They both stared each other down until Carly finally slumped down. "I'm probably really overreacting. It was just a joke, right?"

"You mean you didn't know?"

She was almost offended. "Of course I didn't know! Why would you even think that?" She demanded indignantly. He shrugged. Then she realized what he was saying. Angrily, she told him, "You have such a huge ego! Do you really think I put them up to this because I'm in love with you or something?"

He stared at her levelly. "Well, it is possible."

"No! No, it is not because you're too much of a jerk for me to ever feel anything for you!" She couldn't believe he actually thought she would do something like this to throw their friendship away because she liked him. She didn't like Jack… did she?

No. Of course she didn't.

However, her heart sped up at the thought, contradicting the denial she was currently feeling. She shook her head, deciding to think about it later. Or maybe she wouldn't if it would only make things harder.

The two friends sat together in an awkward silence until finally the quietness got to Carly and she burst out, "Are you going to stop avoiding me now?"

He didn't say anything and Carly frowned. "Or is your reputation too important?"

Jack turned to stare at her. He could see her pleading eyes behind her thick glasses, her bangs were getting too long and brushed the rim of her frames. "I'm sorry." Something finally compelled him to say. She stared at him in surprise. Jack wasn't the type of person so ever even attempt to apologize nicely, he always found a way to turn it into the other person's fault.

But for once, he knew he was wrong in ignoring her for something that really wasn't Carly's fault. "Yes, I'll stop ignoring you. But meanwhile, I have something to take care of…" He walked away before Carly could do anything embarrassing, like hug him. Though secretly, Jack wouldn't have minded. Much.

Carly turned her head back down to the yearbook and was about to tear the page out, the page that caused so much trouble when she heard Crow shout, "Dude, chill! It was a joke!"

_I'm glad everything is back to normal._ Then she grimaced when she saw someone being lifted off the ground. Sighing, Carly made her way over to the two boys. "Jack! Put Crow down!"

When Jack pretended like he didn't hear her, Carly gulped nervously and yelled, "I'm serious, I don't think his arm is supposed to be bent that way!" _Or as normal as anything can be with our group…_ She thought to herself, shaking her head with a smile on her face as Jack placed Crow on the ground.

_~~~~~~~~~Ninth Grade~~~~~~~~~_

Carly wasn't really sure how she'd gotten Jack for a field trip partner. Of course, they were at an age where the teachers did not assign their partners, but that's what didn't make sense.

Yusei was paired with Crow, which was acceptable. However, Carly was almost certain there's be a fight between Misty and Akiza over who would tour the museum with Carly, just like on every other recent group assignment.

See, Misty and Akiza had something of… a falling out. Misty's brother recently passed away while he was trying to help save Akiza, and Misty blamed her friend. The two got into a huge fight and still hadn't made up.

However, Jack knew exactly how Carly and he were stuck together for the next two hours. It was another one of Crow's crazy conspiracies to get Jack and Carly to start dating. He cast a glance in Carly's direction and saw that she was completely clueless and he sighed. "Where do you want to go first?"

Carly shrugged and pointed to a random hallway labeled "Abstract". Jack internally groaned. He hated abstract art, it didn't make any sense. Any person could select random colors and place them on a paper in an ugly mess, it didn't take any sort of talent.

They wandered down the hall, peering at different pieces of art. Carly actually really liked abstract art, you could look at it and determine for yourself what the image was, or what it was representing. She was staring at one particularly interesting piece when Jack interrupted her thinking. "This is boring. Can we go?"

Snapping out of her trance, Carly laughed at her friend. "Well, it doesn't get much more…" She frowned a bit, thinking she heard something that sounded suspiciously like crying. "Do you hear that?"

Jack stared at Carly like he thought she was possibly insane until he heard it too. "You mean the crying?" When she nodded, he waved a hand in the air. "Don't worry about it, let the guards find the screaming kid."

Her eyes widened and she exclaimed, "Jack!" She slapped him on the arm and glared at him. "That little kid could be lost and scared…" She started running in the direction of the mournful wailing.

"Carly! Carly, get back here!" He shouted. When he realized she clearly wasn't going to listen to him, he broke out into a sprint. He easily caught up with her before he grabbed her arm, gently enough not to hurt her, but firm enough so she couldn't break away.

She scowled at him. "What? Why don't you want to help the kid?"

Jack met her gaze head on before slowly saying, "It's not that." When she said nothing, her proceeded to explain, "You'll get upset when we find the child's parents." Knowing Carly, she'd get attached to the girl or boy and would probably start crying when she had to say goodbye. And Jack was never particularly good with crying people.

At first, Carly was really surprised. Quickly though, she teased, "Wow, it almost sounds like you _care_." She smiled up at him, and this time he looked away, feeling uncomfortable. "But it doesn't matter. I won't get upset, I just feel like we have to help! What if that was you when you were a kid? Wouldn't you want someone to help you?"

He dodged the question. "I wouldn't have been in an art museum at that age. Besides, I don't cry."

Carly rolled her eyes and continued searching for the little kid in the many hallways of art. Finally, she saw a little girl on the floor, no more than three and a half years old.

Her heart melted. The child was gripping the edge of her dress, and she was crumpled n the ground, sobbing for her mother. Carly walked up to the little girl who flinched away at first. Gently, Carly told her, "Hey, I'll help you find your mommy."

The little girl peered up at her, still sobbing, though the tears were beginning to slow. She batted her long lashes and asked suspiciously, "Y-You w-w-will?"

Jack couldn't help but notice she sounded an awful lot like Carly, and suddenly, he didn't mind helping this little kid quite as much. He blinked at the thought.

Carly nodded, her glasses falling down her nose a little bit. "My name's Carly, and that," She said, pointing, "Is my friend Jack." She leaned a little closer and stage-whispered, "I know he seems grumpy, but he's a big softie." When she winked at the little girl, the tiny child giggled. "What's your name?"

Seeming to get over her initial shyness, she said boldly, "Patti."

"That's a very nice name," Carly told her genuinely, a sweet smile on her face. "Do you know what your mom's name is?"

Patti's eyes closed as she thought really hard. Her face scrunched up a little bit and she whispered, "I think it's Katie. But I don't know," Suddenly, she was overcome with sadness again. She had never been away from her mom before, and she didn't like it. "I want my mommy!" She wailed hopelessly.

Jack frowned and he slowly walked over to Patti. He knelt down and he said through gritted teeth, "We'll find her."

Patti blinked at the huge man who hadn't said anything the whole time. He did, as Carly said, seem rather grumpy. She stared at him, enraptured. "R-really?"

Completely unaware of the little girls adoring stare, he glanced away. "Yeah," He muttered and was about to stand up again when she threw her arms around him.

Carly couldn't help but smile a bit as Jack's face went rigid then started to soften. He scooped her up and Patti squealed in delight, and Jack slowly smiled as he swung her around in a huge circle, happy giggles reaching his ears. He glanced over at Carly and shot her a look that said 'Tell anyone about this and you're dead.'

Normally, Jack could come off as cold and, well, pretty terrible and mean. But Carly had seen him when he was like this, gentle and kind, a side he revealed only to Carly, the sole person who would never judge him.

When Jack put Patti down, the girl smiled brightly and held both Carly and Jack's hands. She hummed, suddenly in a much better mood. They all wandered around aimlessly in an attempt to find someplace to drop Patti off for her mom to go get her.

They were having fun. Jack was letting loose, for once. Carly got to goof around and be the child she wished she still was. And Patti found a new friend. Everyone was happy.

As they walked all over the museum, one family gasped and tried to hide their shock. "They're so young to be parents…"

The older girl glanced down and noted in shock that Patti _could_ be their kid. She had blonde hair that was strikingly similar to Jack's and grey eyes that looked much like Carly's.

With wide eyes, she looked up at Jack and realized that this could be their family. That she could start a family with Jack one day. She'd always acknowledged that Jack was handsome, and there was no denying that she was pulled to him as a result, but the way her heart was pounding wasn't the result of a mere physical attraction.

She felt very dizzy. Could she really _like_ Jack? Could she really _love_ him?

Yes. She could.

"Why are you staring at me?" Jack questioned Carly warily. Her face was tipped up at him, and she wasn't saying anything, the intriguing spirals of her glasses making her eyes impossible to read. He was determined to one day figure out how to stare through them. "Spacing out again?"

She blinked, attempting to fall back into reality. Because in reality, guys like Jack didn't go for guys like Carly. Because in reality, guys didn't suddenly realize they were in love with their childhood best friend for the longest time. "Huh? Yeah, I was spacing out."

Smirking, he condescendingly declared, "Thought so." Typical Carly behavior. Her eyes would often lock onto something and she could sit there, motionless, lost in thought for minutes on end until someone said something to snap her out of her fantasy world.

Jack's brow furrowed before lifting a finger and pointing to an obscured desk, blocked by a wailing woman in her twenties with her husband trying to console her. "Is that—"

"Mommy!" Patti was shouting. She wrenched her hands away from Jack and Carly and shot toward the weeping lady and launched herself in her arms.

She watched as Patti excitedly told her mom how much she missed her, and her mother tugged her close and whispered how worried she was. Carly's mouth opened a bit, hand still out from when Patti jerked away from her. She pulled her shaking hand in and took a deep breath, unsure why the tears were springing up in her eyes.

Seeing the sparkling drops glinting behind her spectacles, Jack groaned. "You said you weren't going to cry."

She didn't say anything, only nodded, somewhat apologetically. She didn't _want_ to cry, after all, she knew she wasn't going to adopt Patti or anything like that. Was that even legal? "Yeah, I know."

Maybe it was that she'd gotten a taste of what her life could be like with Jack, if only he felt the same way. But judging by the irritated expression on his face, he clearly didn't, and now that fantasy was being shattered, torn out of her hands viciously.

Patti frowned when she saw her new friend looking upset. She pulled on her mom's hand and stated, "Mommy, you have to meet the nice people!"

"I just wanted to say thank you," Carly snapped her head over in surprise at the woman who was wiping her eyes with a tissue. "Thank you for taking care of her, she seems to be rather attached to you. Would you consider babysitting?"

The blonde girl smiled charmingly and begged, "Oh, pretty please with a cherry and chocolate syrup and sprinkles on top?"

Carly nodded. "Sure, Patti," She said, placing a hand on top of her head and ruffling her hair affectionately, though her smile never quite reached her eyes.

"Carly, we need to go find the rest of our grade," Jack muttered as his eyes glanced over the text he received from Crow. "C'mon," He urged, seeing her face take on that mournful expression again. He wanted to know how to cheer her up.

And with that, the two teenagers walked away from the little girl, both feeling a certain degree of remorse and wishful thinking.

_~~~~~~~~~Tenth Grade~~~~~~~~~_

Carly was done with Jack Atlas.

"Why? Why would you do something like that?" Carly snapped angrily. She was currently full of rage, something rather unusual for the bubbly girl.

Jack calmly looked at her and asked, "What are you talking about?"

She scoffed at him and muttered, "Like you don't know…" She stared at him coldly.

The purple-eyed teen frowned, because he did, in fact, know exactly what she was talking about. However, he wasn't about to admit that just yet. "You're going to need to be a little more specific," he told her haughtily.

"You screwed up my first relationship before it even started!" She shouted at him. She wanted to hear his excuse, though she was certain there was no justifying what he did.

"Oh. That."

She stared at him, open-mouthed. "That's the best response you can offer?"

He couldn't help but think she was freaking out over nothing. He tried not to smirk at her rather amusing anger. "He wasn't good for you."

"Last I checked it wasn't your place to decide that for me!" She yelled again, tears of sadness and anger blurring her vision. "You had no right!"

Dryly, he told her, "I had every right."

"No! You're wrong! The first guy who was ever going to ask me out, and you messed it up by scaring him off." She was shaking a bit from bottling up her tears and forcing them down because she wasn't going to show any kind of weakness while she was yelling at him.

Jack rolled his eyes at all the drama she was causing over nothing. "Did you even know his name?"

Carly faltered a bit. "Well… no." She heard from Misty who apparently heard from Jack that a guy was going to ask Carly out, but Jack wasn't very happy about it. She then heard from Misty about two days later that Jack had, if rumors were correct, beaten up the said guy who was going to ask her out and, well, there Carly was with no scheduled date.

"Would you really date a guy that wouldn't like you enough to ask you out after he was… properly informed of the consequences of hurting you?"

She frowned in surprise, her frustration suddenly replaced with a bit of confusion. "I don't know!" Carly replied, not liking where this was going.

He smiled, knowing he'd squeezed in some good points. "Then you shouldn't have dated him anyway if you didn't even like him."

With that statement, Carly found more fuel to the fire as she snorted, "Oh, coming from you that's just _hilarious._"

Jack ignored the insult before really looking at her. There was something she was hiding from him. He'd known her long enough to tell when she wasn't telling the full truth, and there was something similar to fear lying in her grey eyes behind her glasses. "What are you leaving out?"

"Why did you do it?" She asked, ignoring his pervious question. After all, she was mad at him, and he didn't deserve to know the true reason she was all worked up.

He'd probably just laugh anyway.

He blinked in surprise. "Isn't it obvious? You're my friend, and I'm not going to let some idiot go out with you."

He knew who the guy was, even if she didn't. He found out through a rumor mill that some guy who dated girls only to write down their name in a book, _literally_. Each girl was a conquest for him, and he couldn't let Carly date someone like that. His fist clenched at the thought.

While she was happy that he actually seemed sincere, she was still angry. She was angry that he screwed things up for her so carelessly.

It was just like Jack to do something so reckless. Punch some guy in the face and not let Carly decide for herself if he was right for her. Sure, he meant well, but that didn't justify the fact that he thought he could control her. "You should have warned me, not him." And okay, maybe she was a little bit angry at herself, that she could only attract some creep.

"What, you don't believe me?" He asked, not quite grasping the fact that she didn't trust him.

"Sure, I do. I guess." She responded. "But sometimes people can't afford to be quite so picky," Carly muttered, not intending for Jack to hear her.

But he did, and when he grasped the meaning of her words he placed two hands on her shoulders and demanded, "You can't be serious?"

Carly flinched when she saw how angry he was until she remembered she was supposed to be equally mad. "Of course I'm not serious, would I say something like that?" She protested weakly. If he thought he was suddenly allowed to be mad at her, well, he had another thing coming.

"You're lying." Jack stated coldly. Carly never lied to him, and to find out that she was… well, it was surprising and infuriating.

She glared at him before determining that maybe he should know. He should know what he _wrecked_ for her. "You want the truth? In case you haven't noticed, I don't have people falling all over me." She told him somewhat wistfully.

"That doesn't mean you should go out with someone like him!" He said forcefully, staring at her intensely.

She looked down. Her sudden resolve to let him have a piece of her mind was gone, and now she just wanted someone to know the truth. She felt that he should know because he didn't care about her enough to read past her always-happy façade and see that she was a _girl_, a normal girl with normal 'typical girl issues.' Slowly, she whispered, "It means I'll take what I can get."

She felt stupid when she saw the way he looked at her, like she was… well, stupid. And she knew she should feel ridiculous because it wasn't like Jack could possibly understand anything she was going through, because _she_ didn't understand what she was going through. She wasn't sure why this was such a big deal to her. Actually, she knew why, but she didn't know why that why was such a big deal.

_Great. I confused myself._ She thought, wanting to bang her head on the door.

He was still staring at her. Jack knew most girls had self-esteem issues, but he never even imagined Carly would be one of them. She was too upbeat to ever care about anything like that, she could have been the poster child for self-confidence.

But looking at her face, he decided he didn't pay close enough attention. Thinking back, he realized there were several comments she made that hinted at her own insecurities. "You really are serious." When she said nothing, he fell silent as well.

What could he say to that? Should he protest? Go along with it? He'd dealt with similar things in other girls, but he always dumped them after he decided it was just too much for him to deal with. He always felt guilty though, because it was wrong to treat someone poorly just because they weren't quite as arrogant as he was.

The dark haired girl spun around to leave when Jack quietly told her, "Guys will date you… eventually."

After what she just revealed to him, that was definitely not what she wanted to hear. She translated Jack's words: "Oh Carly, you're too weird to be liked right now, but when and if you get normal, you'll have a ton of people falling in love with you!"

She spluttered. "_Eventually?_ Wow." She spat at him angrily, trying to cover up the truth: she was crushed.

_Guys will date you… eventually. Guys will date you… eventually. Guys will_—He interrupted the constant soundtrack of his repetitive words. "I was trying to make you feel better!"

"Oh, great job!" She choked out, hand on the door.

He sighed, unsure of whether he really wanted to say anything else. Should he just let her walk out? Some part of him was saying that was the logical answer, while the other part told him to cheer her up. "They'll date you eventually when they stop being stupid."

After he got the words out, he gritted his teeth. He didn't want her to take that the wrong way and ruin their structured friendship, but what choice did he have? He didn't want her to hate him for all eternity. Not that Carly was the type to hold a grudge, but _still_.

Carly wasn't sure what she was supposed to feel at that moment. Should her head be reeling from this sudden confession? Because her head wasn't reeling. She was merely… pensive. She was pensive about what he just revealed, and she wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean.

She just needed to think. Previously, she was ready to give up on her feelings she harbored for him, but now it would be infinitely harder. She frowned and started to step thought the door.

"Seriously? You're still mad?" Jack asked incredulously. He'd just done something very out of the norm in a vague attempt to make her feel better, and _this_ was what he got?

She faced him and said the words slowly, like she was testing them out. "No, Jack. I'm not." She smiled slightly.

He blinked. "Oh. Okay. Well… good." He finished awkwardly. Jack was prepared to go on a long tirade about how irritating and cryptic she was, and he was relieved that he could save the air for someone far more deserving.

"Bye," She murmured, walking away.

He was bewildered. Baffled. She was so moody today. First she was pissed beyond belief, then she was beating herself up, now she was… He studied her and realized he didn't know what she was feeling at the moment.

"Are you even going to get less confusing?" He snappily asked her, wondering if any girl was worth it. But Jack wasn't gay, so he decided through deductive reasoning that some girls were, indeed, worth it.

She turned around and rolled her eyes. "Funny you should call _me_ confusing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded, but he was answered with a giggle as she raced down the hall. "Carly! Stop!" He paused when he couldn't see her. "Carly?" He tried once more.

Then he sighed. _No. It must be embedded in their DNA, because girls will never get less confusing._

_~~~~~~~~~Eleventh Grade~~~~~~~~~_

"Why am I here?" Carly asked herself, pouting slightly as she took in the banners and streamers and the pointless sparkling confetti. The gym was decorated nicely, but she only felt miserable as people stared at her sitting in the corner alone.

Misty and Akiza promised she'd have a ton of fun, that they'd all have a ton of fun _together._ But, just like any other school function, the two ran off to talk to some guy, and being much prettier than Carly, neither of them faced rejection. It took her awhile to finally spot her friends since she was currently blind, but she eventually noticed that Misty was chatting with a guy Carly recognized as some random jock, while Akiza was currently talking to Yusei.

Carly decided proms were highly overrated.

She even made an attempt to beautify herself, donned in a dress that was not picked out by her, but Misty, the girl with a killer fashion sense. She wielded an eyeliner pencil and mascara wand and painstakingly applied make-up in the mirror for half an hour. She even got rid of her ugly glasses.

And she was still alone.

She sat in the chair before standing up and nearly falling down, stumbling over the layers of floor length skirts. She picked up the dress carefully and walked slowly so she wouldn't face-plant. "Hey!" She shouted over the music to Akiza.

The girl turned her head and Carly smiled wistfully. Akiza was _gorgeous_, she always was, but tonight she just shined. And judging by the startled look on Yusei's face, he was just realizing how pretty the pinkette was. "Hey, Carly!" Akiza said brightly, twirling around to face her.

"I think I'm gonna go home," Carly muttered. "I'm not really feeling that great."

Akiza studied her face. She didn't appear to be sick, but for once Carly had ditched her glasses and the look in her pretty grey eyes was one of misery. She decided if Carly truly wasn't happy, it wasn't her place to force her to stay as Misty would have done. "Well… are you sure you don't want to stay for a little bit longer?"

"Yeah. Pretty sure," Carly told her, smiling tiredly. Why had she thought this dance would be different? Tack on a fancy name and suddenly all her dreams would come true and she'd finally get her first dance? Yeah, right.

Yusei watched all this without saying anything; he'd always been an observant guy. At dances, he'd often noticed Carly sitting alone, reading a book, and he also noticed that for the few days following each dance she was remarkably quiet. He would have told Carly she looked pretty, because she did, but he figured he'd have to deal with an upset Akiza and a really pissed off Jack so he didn't say anything. "Feel better," He smiled at her and she glanced at him and returned a polite twitch of her lips.

Carly was wandering around, attempting to find her car when someone shouted, "What are you doing?"

The girl spun around, wobbling on her high heels. "Jack?" She asked, squinting in hopes of making out his blurry face a bit better.

"Who else?" He snapped, sounding almost irritated. "Where are you going?"

Carly frowned. "I'm going home."

He blinked, noticing that she was hobbling toward the bright yellow car that could never be missed. "Why?"

"Because I don't feel well."

Jack frowned. She looked fine, maybe a little annoyed and upset, but she definitely wasn't sick. In fact, her cheeks were flushed slightly more pink giving her a more healthy glow than usual. "What's wrong?"

The scowl on her face deepened a little bit and she mumbled, "I told you, I don't feel well."

He snorted. Carly was still a rotten liar, seeing as it wasn't something she usually did. And Jack knew her well enough to notice when she attempted to make something up, especially when he could actually see her eyes.

Jack had forgotten just how pretty they were, not that he'd ever tell anyone. They were a unique dark grey that actually seemed to fit her mood for once, though he remembered them being a paler shade, almost blue. He was pretty sure she was wearing make-up, but he couldn't be sure.

And she looked _good_. Really good.

But not at all like herself, which bothered Jack a lot more than it should have. "Where are your glasses?" He asked her slowly, eyes immediately going to the purse she was carrying.

Sheepishly, she pulled a glasses case out of her bag and opened it, revealing one of the things that made Carly a special individual. "Well? Are you going to put them on?"

"Aren't you the one who always said you wished you could see my eyes?" She questioned, lifting her eyebrows though she pulled them on anyway. She blinked in surprise at how focused the world became and smiled.

Jack rolled his eyes. "'Some people just can't be happy,'" he quoted something Carly often told him when he was in a particularly bad mood.

"Now, are you going to tell me why you're _really _leaving?"

Cary looked down at the ground, pretending to be just fascinated by a colorful bubblegum wrapper. "I told you, I don't—" Seeing the look of disbelief on his face, she changed her mind. "I was bored, just sitting there by myself."

He stared at her like she was a little bit insane, then turned his eyes away so he wouldn't make her feel bad. "It's prom. You're supposed to dance?" He suggested, trying not to mock her since she did seem pretty down and Jack wasn't quite that cruel.

"With who?" She asked, thinking for sure that would stop him.

But of course it didn't. "Maybe your friends?"

Carly wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Either she would sound really desperate and clingy, or her friends would sound like they ditched her and Jack would probably go and yell at them. "They're busy dancing with other people, I don't want to interrupt."

He sighed, knowing this would probably be something he'd either regret for the rest of his life or wish he could do it over and over again. "C'mon." He told her, guiding her toward the gym. They'd already been slowly working their way back to the school function, and they were just outside the doors.

"No!" She protested. "I told you, I don't—"

He interrupted her smoothly. "Isn't this one of your favorite songs?"

She listened to the notes pounding out of the speakers, and she was surprised to find that it was. She was even more surprised that Jack actually remembered. "Well, yeah…"

"Shouldn't you dance to your favorite song?" He asked her gruffly.

It was her turn to look at him like he was a little bit crazy. "Um, wouldn't it look kind of weird if I danced to a slow song by myself?"

He sighed, wondering why she didn't quite get it yet. She was so… dense. It was usually what Jack would grudgingly admit to being charming, but at the moment it was vexing. "You wouldn't have to dance by yourself."

She still had the 'WTF' look stamped on her face and was opening her mouth, so Jack impatiently snapped, "For God's sake, do you want to dance with me?"

Her mouth closed. Then opened again. Then closed. She opened her mouth again, and this time words came out, "I- what?"

"Do you want to dance with me?" He asked through gritted teeth, though he tried to sound a bit more amiable.

She blinked. "I-I… uh… okay?"

Wordlessly, he took her hand and led her into the gym. Her heart was slamming against her rib-cage, the faint beats turning into a sped up version that probably wasn't exactly healthy. _Just calm down, Carly._

Misty and Akiza had somehow migrated together to squeal over how cute they were, swaying back and forth to the music, one of them hopelessly out of rhythm and the other supremely graceful. The two had gotten over their feud a few months ago, which was good.

As Carly's head rested on Jack's chest, she wondered why her own heart was so erratic while Jack seemed so perfectly calm. Though when she thought about it, the answer was obvious. She was just Carly his longtime buddy, a sympathy dance; he didn't feel anything for her. He was just being a good friend.

Jack's current girlfriend, a pretty girl with blue hair and golden toned eyes, thought otherwise when she saw an unfamiliar tenderness in his eyes as he gripped her a little tighter.

The song ended and he released her, trying to convince himself that he didn't let go of her reluctantly. "I-I-I should p-probably find… you know." She stammered, walking away as quickly as she dared to find Akiza and Misty.

"Feeling better?" Akiza asked wryly.

"Shut up," Carly said playfully, because she did, in fact, feel better. "Just like I'm sure you felt a lot better when Yusei _finally_ seemed to notice you."

Akiza blushed a bit but didn't say anything. "So, you'll be staying?" She finally asked, trying to subtly change the subject.

Carly nodded, and when a song came on that they all liked they started dancing in a group, giggling at how stupid they probably looked.

Carly sneaked a glance at Jack who was currently staring at her before she blushed and turned back to her friends.

She changed her mind. Prom wasn't _that_ bad.

_~~~~~~~~~Twelfth Grade~~~~~~~~~_

She was so upset. She had been in love with Jack since they were in the ninth grade, and she finally got her chance with him, and she thought for a moment that maybe he liked her. After all, they had been dating for a little over a year.

But seeing the way he looked at her… Mina knew Jack never loved her. He loved Carly, the girl he was always around, the one with the unique glasses.

"Jack," Mina murmured. "We need to talk."

She watched his face for any signs of distress at the classic 'I'm breaking up with you' line, but there was none. Just a cool, distant impassiveness. "About?" He asked boredly, barely even sparing her a glance.

She sighed. "We should probably break up."

He shrugged. "Okay." Deep down, he was actually pretty surprised though he didn't show it. It was usually Jack who did the dumping, not the other way around. He liked Mina more than most of the girls he was dating, but he certainly wasn't crushed by her decision to end the relationship.

"It's about Carly."

In fascination, she noticed the way he suddenly was very interested in what she was saying. "What do you mean?" He asked her slowly.

Mina stood her ground and tried not to swoon when he fixated her with a violet stare. "It's just that… you know," She finished lamely, not wanting to sound like she was too jealous. Because she wasn't, it was just hard to be in love with someone when they only saw someone else.

"No, I don't know," He told her blandly, prompting her to speak her mind for once.

"Jack," She muttered again before fidgeting awkwardly. "It's always been her, and I get that now and I get that it won't change. I mean, I thought maybe you'd stop feeling that way about her but—"

"What?" He snapped. "You think I like her?"

Mina cocked her head. "Well, yeah. Everyone knows you do, I mean, it's okay because—"

He cut her off again. "That's ridiculous. We've been friends since first grade, of course she's important to me. Doesn't mean I _love _her."

Mina just smiled sadly and murmured, "Bye," and walked away.

He sat there in confusion, wondering what exactly just happened. He didn't mind being broken with, it wasn't like he was clingy or extremely attached to Mina, but it was a weird feeling to know that he was being dumped over something that wasn't even true. He didn't like Carly, why would he?

Sure, she wasn't ugly. And okay, she might have been smart. She was a good person, and she would never judge Jack, but that didn't mean he felt anything for her other than a close friendship.

"Well, that must have been awkward," A familiar voice said, and Jack whirled, completing a one-eighty.

"Yusei," Jack nodded at him in greeting, still staring off where Mina disappeared.

Yusei frowned. "She seemed pretty upset."

Jack glared at Yusei, knowing where this was going. First he'd give Jack some stupid speech about how he should be friends with Mina (everyone knew that friendship was, in Yusei's opinion, the most important thing in the world), then he'd guilt Jack into taking her back. "She'll live."

Yusei shook his head at his taller friend, wondering how someone could be quite so heartless. "She really liked you, Jack."

"And how would you know? You can't even figure out when one of your best friends has been in love with you since _first grade_." Jack snapped angrily, deciding that none of this was Yusei's concern and that he should leave him alone because Jack's life was _Jack's_ life and no one else's business.

_Neither can you…_Yusei thought wryly. But instead of pissing Jack off more by saying that, the blue-eyed teen shrugged and muttered, "Carly told me."

Jack wasn't quite expecting that answer because Carly had never mentioned anything of the sort to him, so he turned his face to hide his confusion. "Why would she do that?"

"Gee, I wonder," another voice chimed in, this one seeming to be much more irritating, though that might just be because of its owner. "Maybe it's because everyone can see what you can't."

The blonde turned to the new person joining the argument against Jack. "Shut up, Crow," He growled. He didn't protest though, he'd learned by now that when it came to the two of them pressing him to ask Carly out whenever he was single, it was best to just go along (partially) with what they said.

Crow shook his head, something like stubbornness and determination settling in. "No, we've been shutting up about this long enough. Just because Carly's too afraid of 'jeopardizing your friendship' to admit she's in love with you doesn't mean that we have to keep our mouths shut."

"Well, you should," Jack snarled before moving to walk away.

Yusei sighed, knowing that Crow _really_ wasn't taking the right approach. "Both of you need to relax." He turned to Jack and said calmly, "You should just admit the truth," then he spoke to you, "And you should stop badgering him."

"There's nothing to admit!" Jack roared, sick of the conversation. He tried not to get too angry at his friends, but usually it was too much to handle. They just had this talent for really getting under his skin.

Actually, _everyone_ got under Jack's skin.

Yusei frowned and looked at him. "Are you sure about that?"

Jack wasn't sure what it was that made him reconsider. Maybe it was the fact that Yusei for once sounded desperate, or the fact that Crow was being serious for a change. Maybe it was the fact that he needed his friends to ask him over and over, but he thought about it.

And suddenly, the idea of dating Carly wasn't quite so repulsive. He blinked.

He remembered how back when they were kids she'd always smile and share her lunch with them, or when he comforted her when she got her glasses. They practically _were_ dating on little kid terms, but then it changed when he got older.

He always thought maybe he'd just lost interest, but maybe he just stifled it. Buried it, like some lost treasure that he was just now rediscovering. Maybe he still loved Carly, and everyone was right. Well, except for the part about Jack being stupid, because Jack was not an idiot.

"What's he yelling about now?" A new voice asked in a cheerful tone, and suddenly, everyone else fell silent and looked at her at the exact same time. "Um, that was a little creepy?" She started to fidget when no one said anything.

Jack was worried that if Carly heard what they were saying, she'd kill him. Yusei was worried that Jack was going to kill Carly. Crow was worried that Jack would kill him. And Carly was worried that they all were plotting to kill her and that's why they were so quiet.

"We were just uh, talking about you," Crow said, prompting Carly to frown. "Nothing bad! Just about how Jack—"

"Crow," Jack hissed through his teeth.

Carly was getting worried. This was the umpteenth time something like this happened, and she thought she deserved an answer. What if Jack had cancer or something? She felt her blood pressure begin to rise, and she calmly wondered out loud, "When am I ever gonna be in the loop?"

"What loop? There's no loop," Jack lied, trying to sound smooth, but he recognized what Carly was feeling. White hot-rage, or at least, that's what was beginning to build up. It started with the fidgeting, then the flat voice, then came the quiet statements that were somehow more freaky than yelling.

He'd never seen her that angry, because it only happened once, back in the eighth grade when he wasn't talking to her, but he heard all about it from his friends. "Why are you saying there's no loop when clearly there's a loop? That, might I mention again, I'm being left out of."

"It's not your concern."

Her eyes snapped open, and suddenly, she felt the urge to hit Jack. "Really? You guys are talking about me and I don't deserve to know?"

Mina had been watching the whole time, well, ever since Jack started yelling. She looked at the girl in the glasses, the object of Jack's affection, and felt a rush of sympathy that she tried to extinguish. Carly was the reason Jack and Mina couldn't be together, so why did she feel bad?

Easy. While Jack had been hurting Mina for maybe a year or so, he'd clearly been upsetting Carly even longer. And with that, Mina decided that Carly _did_ deserve to know, because if she was in her shoes, she'd want someone to tell her.

"They were talking about how Jack likes you," A sad voice interjected.

Jack whirled on the person who started this whole thing. "And why are you here?" He shot her a warning look, telling her not to say another word.

But Mina wasn't going to listen to him. Boldly, she stood up straighter, "Actually, they were talking about how you both—"

Carly walked away. Everyone watched as she didn't say anything, merely started to leave her peers behind so she could think in peace.

Why? Why did this always happen to her? Why did everyone always insist on cruelly teasing her about the way she was in love with her very best friend?

Was she some kind of joke to them, a person there merely for entertainment?

And the look on Jack's face, one full of denial and horror when Mina spoke, hurt Carly worse than any type of rejection he could have spoken. Then she was angry, that he couldn't even tell her she had no chance himself. He should have known she wouldn't have freaked out. She wasn't like that, but maybe he didn't even care for her as a friend with the way he'd been treating her for years, ever since the seventh grade.

He'd always had a mean streak, but as they grew older, it got worse and Carly was growing tired of dealing with the way he acted sometimes. Then to find out how shockingly awful it was to him to picture the two of the couple…

It was just the breaking point.

"Where are you going?" Jack ran up to her, but she only turned her face so he was staring at the back of her head.

_If I ignore him long enough, he'll give up and go away,_ Carly thought to herself hopefully. Not that she actually believed that, because Jack was the most stubborn person she'd ever met in her whole life. "Way to be mature, Carly." She still didn't say anything. "It wasn't true."

"Really?" She asked bitterly. "I hadn't noticed." She continued her brisk walk, seeing a spot where she could cross the street. She glanced over at Jack who was currently frowning before hitting the button that would change the sign so she could migrate over the road.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He questioned none too gently, the cruelty in his voice only angering Carly further as she pounded on the button again.

She shook her head, waiting and tapping her feet as the countdown started so she could get away from him. "Not anything you should be worried about," she repeated his words from before, hoping it would shake him but of course it didn't.

He rolled his eyes. "You're acting ridiculous, like one of my fangirls that I just…rejected…" Jack trailed off as he began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, his friends were right.

She certainly didn't love him?

When he thought about it though, he realized that with the way she acted sometimes, it was possible. Actually, it was rather probable. He started to say something, but it only came out sounding as though he'd been strangled.

"And this is why I didn't tell you," She muttered, practically sprinting as she ran across the road as soon as the sidewalk sign flashed. "Why I'd lied to myself and to you for years," She said quietly even though he still hadn't caught up to her.

He was still debating if it would be smarter to turn around, but he couldn't. He just had to know. "Were they right?"

She said nothing, but when she turned to him, he saw an answer. Somehow, for the first time, he looked past her glasses and saw her firm, "Yes."

He lifted a hand to touch her, but he couldn't. "But that's crazy."

When she heard the bewilderment in Jack's voice, she almost could have smiled. But she tried to be angry, because it was easier than just going back to square one all the time. "I thought your ego would be thrilled."

He scoffed at her. "Well it clearly isn't."

Carly kept going, with no real destination in mind. She just had to find someplace where she could lose him, someplace where she could be alone. "Why don't you just go make up with Mina, and be on your merry way."

"Because I don't like Mina. I like someone else."

The thought probably should have surprised her, but it didn't. Of course the reason they broke up would be because Jack had gotten bored and found someone else that would keep his fascination for a few months at the most, and then he'd look for a new person to date. "Right."

He frowned, wondering why she didn't ask who it was. "Don't you want—"

"No, Jack, I don't really care who it is." Seeing the look on his face she added, "Huh, guess I've gotten to know you too well. You don't even have to finish your statements. Maybe you're just predictable," She blinked when she realize she wasn't even angry anymore, and she was starting to babble with a teasing undercurrent in her voice.

Sometimes, Carly wished she was better at holding a grudge.

Jack turned her around to face him and asked, "Well, what if it was you?"

Carly knew Jack was expecting her to freak out, but she didn't, simply because she didn't believe him and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of letting him witness a full-blown spazz attack. "Very funny," She rolled her eyes.

There was some part of her, though, that didn't believe Jack would do that. He would never tell her anything like that because he never found the idea of him liking Carly very funny, and she used to believe it was because he was in denial but she banished that concept awhile ago.

"You don't believe me?"

She looked at him in disbelief. "Of course not. You just said two seconds ago that it wasn't true, and you don't usually change your mind about anything."

It was true, Jack noted. "I know, but maybe they were right," He said awkwardly. He almost grimaced at how unconvincing he sounded.

Carly shook her head. "It's okay. I'll never even see you again after this year, so what does it matter?"

Normally, that was something she tried not to think about. She and Misty were heading off to the same college, but she'd have to leave behind the rest of her friends, including Jack. The thought was typically really painful, but she'd already had her heart broken once today, so it couldn't get that much worse.

"What?" He asked sharply. "What do you mean?"

"We're going to college," She stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He snorted. "I know that, but who says I don't want to see you again?"

"Maybe I don't want to see you," She lied, looking at the ground as she walked over another crosswalk. She picked her head up and smiled at where her feet and mind had taken her subconsciously.

Jack followed her line of sight and what he saw caused waves of nostalgia to crash over him, threatening to drown him. "Hey, isn't this…"

She smiled, almost in wonder. "It's our old kindergarten."

"Hey, do you remember when I called you weird and we ended up playing tag together?" He laughed a little bit, surprising Carly.

She looked up at him. "You still remember that?"

He stopped laughing and frowned, almost feeling offended. But Jack Atlas didn't get offended. Still, he couldn't help but question defensively, "Of course, why wouldn't I?"

Carly shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I just thought it wasn't something that important to you." She smiled at him sheepishly. "I've always felt like you matter to me more than I matter to you." She didn't look at him when she said this, and she wandered over to the sandbox, seeing a few of the exact same toys they used to play with, the paint worn away.

"That's not true."

She turned her head in his direction and squinted. He definitely didn't _seem_ to be lying. "It's not?"

He sighed mentally and told her in a monotonous tone, "I already told you that… I... you know."

This wasn't something he usually had to do. Usually it was a bunch of girls declaring to him their undying love, but now it was the other way around, and he didn't really know what to say. He was amazed he'd even gotten this far.

She giggled a little bit at his frustration. "What's that?" She teased him.

He glared at her when he realized she already knew what he was trying to say. Her eyes were shining though, so Jack sighed, this time out loud. "I love you, Carly."

Jack was looking at her with a bit of desperation glinting in his eyes, and so she believed him. And then she grinned so wide, she thought her mouth would be frozen that way forever.

After all those times she imagined this moment, her fantasies could never compare to the real thing. She finally got that phrase 'on cloud nine' because when you're really that happy and in love, you kind of lose all feeling and feel like you're floating. You just lose yourself in bliss.

She flung her arms around him, and he tilted her chin up. He pressed his lips against hers, gently at first then harder, like he'd wanted to do this for a long time.

She couldn't help but remember this was _way_ better than her first kiss with Jack, and she smiled against his mouth.

When they pulled away, something made Carly frown. It was a noise, one that had become all too familiar to her, and at the exact same time they howled, "CROW!"

He grinned and laughed maniacally, literally stepping out of a bush he camouflaged himself in. "Gotta run!" He shouted, waving the camera in his hands. "Ha! Yusei owes me ten bucks now!"

"They made… of course they made bets," Carly muttered, but she was smiling again. She started to run after Jack, who was running after Crow, who was still laughing like some creeper.

_This is getting way too familiar, _Jack thought to himself.

He waited for Carly to catch up, and he shrugged his shoulders. She glanced at him questioningly. "I have better things to be doing in my life than chase after him," He told her, smirking as he pulled her face up to his again.

When he kissed her again, the only thing that Carly could think was a single word.

_Perfect._

**(A/N) Okay. Before anyone leaves me a review about how OOC the ending is, let me justify myself. I tried to write that scene a billion times, and when it wasn't slightly corny (or okay, really corny) I felt like it wasn't satisfying enough. I mean, c'mon! The whole thing before the last section was 15,619 words, so I feel like I'm allowed to have one cheesy scene after what's supposed to be twelve years.**

**Plus, I haven't made them kiss yet in this entire thing (aside from the one from Angela POV, but I feel like that doesn't really count), which believe me, is quite the accomplishment XD**

**But still, I will understand if you think it's really quite over the top :P Reviews would be greatly appreciated!**


	15. Switched

**(A/N) Sorry if this was a bit late :/ I tried to type this several times and failed… Hopefully the end result is good! This might be a bit confusing, but I'll try and explain in the bottom note a bit more.**

**I'm also starting school soon (blech) so I won't be able to update as often.**

**Disclaimer: I should really do these more often… anyway, I only partially own this circumstance, I guess? (No wonder I don't do these, I suck at them. Ha.)**

Carly gasped for breath, both in shock and physical fatigue. _I have to catch him. I have to catch him. I _have _to catch him_.

It was her mantra, a desperate prayer she couldn't stop repeating as she tried desperately to catch him. She wasn't even sure if she was thinking or talking out loud. "Jack!" She screamed after him, knowing he'd be able to hear. He heard, but he didn't turn to face her.

The screams were audible to her friends waiting back, and they all mulled about, wondering why she was pursuing him like that. After all, they couldn't be sure it was really him.

But Carly knew.

"Jack!" She hollered again, more desperately. She sucked in more air, trying to soothe her smoldering lungs due to overexertion. She knew she shouldn't have wasted her breath shouting, but she had to try. She had to make him stop, she just had to talk to him.

_Why does he have to be so much taller?_ Not for the first time, she wished she was born taller.

When she shouted again, he was tempter to turn around, to tell her to stop following her. If he could pretend like she didn't exist, that this sick twist in fate wasn't real, maybe he could find it in him to live with this new life in front of him. But when she wouldn't stop shouting, it was so painful.

So painful to know that he'd have to destroy her in hopes of being together again. He'd have to brutally harm her in ways unthinkably cruel if he ever wanted to touch her, or tell her what he should've days ago.

Jack Atlas was learning you can't run from destiny, no matter how much you wanted. So he slowed his gait.

_I have to catch him_. She told herself yet again. Maybe if she willed him to stop enough, he would. He'd hear her thoughts and slow down and tell her it'd be okay, that he wasn't really one of them.

One of the Dark Signers.

She didn't want to kid herself. She knew that face when she saw it, and it was wrong to lie and pretend like there was still hope when there so clearly wasn't. Jack wasn't the same person anymore. She had to make sure though, she just had to…

Carly almost grinned when he slowed down, and she ran up to him, hope building up inside of her. "Jack?" She asked, this time in a much softer, questioning tone.

He turned to her. She lifted a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened in horror, taking in the eyes that couldn't possibly belong to Jack, the man she loved. His vibrant purple irises were surrounded by an ebony black, rather than an oh-so-human white. "N-no…" She whispered.

"No!" She said again, stronger this time. "W-why? Why, Jack?"

He scowled deeply at her. "You think I had a choice?" He asked rhetorically, surprised at the bitterness in his own voice. "You think I want to destroy you?"

She stumbled back as if someone had pushed her and her eyes widened. "Destroy me?"

"Clearly, you don't know how it works when a Dark Signer," Carly flinched as the purple Mark on his arm started to pulse, "and a normal Signer duel."

Her own Mark started to throb and she whimpered a bit, rubbing the cursed tattoo.

Carly decided long ago that it was a _scar_. A memory of something incredibly painful, not something to symbolize how special she was. It represented pain, because emotionally and physically, that was all the stupid thing had brought her.

"When we duel, we won't both make it out alive," He continued, tone even more resentful and wishing then before. "And we both know who's more talented in that area."

She shook her head, small droplets of water glittering like diamonds as they flew from her eyes. "It doesn't have to be that way," She murmured, but she knew she was wrong.

He was right, like usual. Carly was interested in using a deck, yes. But for fortune telling, not sending someone to their death.

So naturally, she couldn't hope of defeating him. Carly, frumpy Carly with little experience in dueling, beat the King? Yeah, right.

He caught one of the tears that leaked out of her eye, and he held it in his hand before shaking it off vigorously. He hated that he'd done so much to hurt her, but it was like he couldn't stop speaking the truth. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"What makes sense?"

Jack knew he should stop, but he couldn't bring himself to, not now that he started. He was already fated to kill her, so what would a little emotional harm do? "You're so _good_. And I'm...not."

Angrily, she stepped closer to him. "What are you talking about, Jack?"

"I'm dark personified, literally. You're the opposite, and it makes perfect sense." He struggled for a way to explain the concept, but when he lifted the glasses off her face, he could see that she understood.

She didn't agree, though. "No, that isn't true!" She protested, jerking away from him. "You _are_ good, and this- this- this... whatever it is, just isn't fair!" Her voice dropped. "I wish I could take your place."

He laughed coldly. "That's exactly what I mean. You want to take a burden that I deserve off my shoulders, and carry it yourself instead."

"Nobody deserves this, to have their _soul_ taken away," She informed him in that broken tone. She lifted a hand to touch his face but he moved away, and she brought her hand to her side slowly.

He glanced back and he told her, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

She stared at him incredulously, lifting a hand, though this time to slap him. But then she thought better of it and once again, dropped her outstretched palm. "So that's it? You're just going to accept this, that we have to-"

"I promise it'll work out," He told her firmly. "We can be together again, you just-" He looked back again, this time annoyed. The rest of the Dark Signers were growing impatient, and he had to be leaving. "Goodbye."

Another tear trickled down her face, and she didn't even realize that he took her glasses with him.

When he was out of her sight range, he pulled out the frames and muttered the words he couldn't say to their owner. "I'm sorry, Carly."

**(A/N) I know this is a little bit short (especially compared to the last chapters) but I tried to stretch out this scene as much as I could. I really hope this made sense, and I know there are a lot of plot holes, but it's a oneshot, and I didn't feel like going into the background for this scene because I'm lazy like that!**


	16. A Cinderella Story

**(A/N) Ugh, I really despise going back to school, it is no fun. No fun at all.**

**This was inspired by Cinderella, which you probably could have figured out :) **

**By the way, I'd say that Ruka is about fourteen, while Carly and everyone else is about twenty.  
**

Sometimes, she just hated herself. Usually, she dealt with her problems well, but on that day, she just couldn't take it.

Carly hated it when people looked at her that way. She just _hated_ it.

They'd stare at her, see the things on her face, eyes would dart down to her usually covered forearm, and they'd know. And they'd look away, eyes widening in horror. And then...

They'd just run.

Screams would sometimes tear out of their throats, the high shrieking piercing her eardrums as she tried desperately to block the terrified shouting. It was never just empty, meaningless cries, it was always the same word, over and over again.

"Demon."

So after they shouted it jeeringly after her, before they got the chance to, she ran first. Usually, she would trip over her own feet, starting a whole new round of taunts and jabs until finally she was far enough away that she didn't have to listen to their unkind words anymore.

But on that day, she didn't have a place to run. Typically she'd head for a forest, or someplace where she could be alone, but on that day, the only thing that could help her was some sort of companionship. She didn't have many friends, only a little girl named Ruka believed in her.

And Ruka was a good friend, loyal to a fault. She'd tell Carly she didn't understand why people didn't like her, because, after all, Carly was the sweetest, most genuine person ever. Ruka would smile at her then, and Carly would be so grateful to the turquoise-haired girl.

Carly couldn't stand the thought of endangering Ruka though, not when she was like this. Not when she was so torn apart and couldn't keep her powers under control, when she didn't know if the spirit who calling himself Ascilla Piscu would take over and harm the child.

Her whole body shook from holding in her sobs. She rolled up her sleeve and stared at the Mark on her arm. "Why?" She pleaded quietly.

"WHY?"

* * *

He cursed his parents. The oaths he roared after them were enough to make his mother tear up, but he didn't care, he was ruthless on the one subject.

Marriage. His parents wanted him to get _married._

The idea was utterly repulsive to him. He hated to think of himself as tied down, but it was so much more than that.

He didn't want to endanger someone he loved. And Jack promised himself he'd only marry if he was ever in love.

Why? Because he saw what happened when two people got stuck to each other for the rest of their lives... they were just that. Stuck together, unable to truly be themselves, but stiff and awkward.

Jack loved himself too much to let his personality go.

So it was always one or the other - let himself go, or risk hurting someone he actually cared about (that is, if it were possible for him to care about anyone so intimately), and he just couldn't win.

It wasn't that he was impractical. He saw the reasons why he'd need to be wed, but the thought was so wrong, so impossibly wrong. His parents had arranged for him to meet the most beautiful princesses, the finest maidens, but it was never right.

Love in general, just wasn't right. Not for him.

Though it wasn't like it mattered, after all, he didn't believe in love. It just wasn't real, or it would find everyone in the world, leaving no one out. As it was, the world was falling apart because too many people were harboring hatred as opposed to the opposite.

So, Jack concluded, it was stupid to bother looking for something that just didn't exist. The only person he loved, or needed to love, was himself, and everything would be fine.

But his parents just didn't understand. They were arranging a ball, a place where he could talk to all sorts of women, find one that suited him. And apparently, if he didn't find one that suited him, his parents would, and he didn't have a choice in the matter.

* * *

The teetering laughter was unmistakable, and Carly couldn't help but flinch. "Angela," She said weakly, directing the word at a girl with golden curls splayed around her shoulders.

"What are you doing, Demon? Shouldn't you be holed up someplace, away from society? It's where _monsters_ like you belong," Angela said the words with such menace, her cruelty nearly brings Carly to her knees. She wasn't done, though.

After all, it was hardly fair that Carly was the way she was. It wasn't right that someone could be so kind, so openhearted even thought people hated her so much. It just wasn't normal, and Angela didn't understand it.

So what she didn't understand, she mocked. It was simply easier.

Angela waved a slip of paper in front of her face. "Didn't get one of these? An invitation to Prince Jack's ball? No?" She smiled then, a strange type of pleasure on her face as she spat, "Can't imagine why."

Carly's eyes watered and she felt her Mark begin to pulse under her skin, and she felt herself slipping away. But not even Angela deserved to be smitten dead by Ascilla Piscu. "I-I don't want to go anyway."

A new voice chimed in the taunting, Angela's sister, Mikage. "Too worried about what he'll think of you? Good, because he's _my_ future husband."

Or so she was hoping. Jack was incredibly handsome, and would be incredibly powerful in the near future. What else could a girl ask for?

"Um, no," Angel interrupted sharply. "He's _my_ future husband."

Carly saw an opportunity to leave while the two girls where arguing, so she started to walk away.

Until she saw the paper under Mikage's skirt. "Um, what is that?" She asked, eyes widening as she took in the slip of parchment.

Angela glared at Mikage as the blunette slid her hand to the paper in question. "Oh, um, this?" Mikage replied nervously. When Carly nodded, Mikage shook her head desperately. "Oh, nothing at all!" Then, as an afterthought she added, "At least, nothing you should worry about."

Carly moved quickly, snatching the sheet from the petite girl's hand. Her eyes widened as she took it in.

_You, Carly Nagisa, have been cordially invited to attend Prince Jack's ball._

Her hand shook and she didn't even bother to finish reading the rest of the print.

_Me? _She asked herself, smile spreading across her face. _He wants me to be there?_

"Don't look like that," Angela commanded. She tipped her nose up in a haughty way. "He didn't personally invite you."

The girl with the Mark's blood began to boil. "Well, why did you have the invitation anyway?"

Mikage shook her head, almost sympathetically. "We didn't want you to be embarrassed when you found out it was a _mistake_. Why would he want someone like you there?"

Carly frowned for a second, wondering if what Mikage said was true. Everyone spoke her name, everyone knew what she was, so why would a prince have any sort of interest in her?

Unless...

_Unless everyone was invited_, she thought, her heart stopping. Of course he had no say in the matter. He didn't even want to get married, and why would he want to marry a monster?

"Y-You're right," Carly whispered quietly, backing away slowly before breaking out into a run.

She understood that it wasn't just about Jack's ball. It was something so much bigger.

How could anyone love her? Ever?

When she'd allowed herself to get distracted, she lost her footing and she crumpled to the ground. She didn't bother picking herself up, after all, what was the point? What was the point in living if you were just so miserable all the time?

"Carly! Are you okay?" A concerned and familiar voice asked in her ear.

Carly turned her head slightly. "Do I look okay?" She attempted in a light tone, but her voice was tight, still trying not to sob.

Ruka frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nobody loves me."

From anyone else, this would have sounded terrible, like someone fishing for a compliment. But Carly didn't sound very remorse, just matter-of-fact. Like what she just stated was perfectly normal, acceptable even.

Ruka wanted to cry for her friend. Carly was so wonderful, such a _rolemodel_, and it broke the younger girl's heart to see her in such a state. Usually, Carly was full of life and energy, but sometimes, the hatred other people felt for her just got to be too much, and she'd end up like this. Broken. "Carly, I love you!" She said, desperately trying to brighten her day.

Carly smiled at the girl genuinely. "Thank you," She murmured, taking Ruka up in her arms and hugging her. "You too."

"What brought this on?" Ruka wondered out loud.

People always told Ruka that she was mature for her age, and she supposed it was true. She understood people well, and she didn't fit in much with those her own age. In fact, Carly could almost be considered her closest friend.

The woman frowned, hand going to the place where her note had been concealed. "I-I was invited someplace."

Ruka's eyes widened as Carly pulled out the invitation. She'd seen them all over the kingdom, but she was too young to go. "To Prince Jack's ball?" She shrieked, clapping her hands together. "You have to go!"

"But why?"

Ruka stared at her friend as though she were horribly dense. "You don't just turn down something like this! Maybe you'll fall in love," Ruka said, eyes getting a faraway look.

She knew at such a young age she shouldn't be so concerned with such things, but she just couldn't help it. She wanted to fall in love someday, and she wanted to see her friend find happiness as well.

Carly giggled. "That'd be pretty great, huh?" When Ruka nodded vigorously, Carly smiled. "Okay... but where am I going to get a dress?"

The little girl shook her head in exasperation. "Oh, Carly, I'll buy you a dress! Then we can add personal touches."

The older female picked up the child she'd consider her sister and swung her around in a circle. "Thank you!" She squealed, already brightening.

How could she be so sad? This was the chance of a lifetime, and anything could happen!

* * *

"Oh..." Carly breathed, eyes going wide in pure shock and adoration.

She twirled around, for once admiring herself in the shiny glass. She was stunning, and that was saying something, especially considering Carly was a modest person. The only thing that through her appearance off were those horrendous spectacles.

She tugged them off, only to be unsatisfied with her eyes. They were blackest black, the only other color being grey, creating a drab and frightening effect.

So which was worse? The glasses worn only to conceal her scary eyes, or the aforementioned scary eyes?

_I should definitely wear the glasses,_ Carly decided grimly, gently placing the frames on her face once more.

Ruka banged on the door, for once displaying some kind of impatience. "Are you done yet?" She whined, for once sounding her age.

Carly opened the door, and Ruka beamed at her. "That is so pretty!" She exclaimed, taking in her friend. "The color on you is just amazing," She continued to gush while Carly ducked her head, trying to hide the pleased blush on her cheeks.

"Thanks for everything," Carly murmured. "We should both be heading home though." Ruka nodded, and the two girls said their goodbyes before heading off in their own directions.

Carly was humming happily to herself, when she saw the two sister's in her line of sight. She frowned a bit, but was determined not to let them make her upset, so she kept walking with as much confidence that she could muster.

Angela and Mikage eyed the pretty dress in her hands, both of them secretly wishing it could be worn by them.

_Someone so disgusting shouldn't get a gown so beautiful._ It was a thought in both of their minds, and they glanced at each other before descending upon Carly, claws out. "Don't tell me you're actually going to go to the ball," Angela told her.

Carly blinked but kept a level head and responded coolly, "Yes, I am."

"And you'll be wearing that?" Mikage asked, trying to hide her jealousy.

The girl with the raven hair nodded warily, trying to deftly step around them. Surprisingly, they let her pass, and she started to let out a sigh when she heard it. RIIIIIP.

Her jaw dropped as she stared at the gauzy fabric in Angela's hand, who was smiling sweetly. "_Oops._"

"Y-y-you can't d-d-do stuff like th-that!" Carly stuttered angrily.

Mikage smiled meanly, taking another hem and viciously tearing it. "You mean like this?"

Carly frowned, eyes beginning to water. "Stop it!" She screamed at them.

But they weren't listening. They started ripping her dress apart, the delicate fabric no match for their rage and envy. They were laughing maniacally, revelling in Carly's tears.

Soon, the only thing left of the gown were scraps of chiffon. Tears streamed down her face as she angrily shouted, "Why would you do something so horrible?" Her Mark was throbbing again, and she didn't want to control herself.

She wanted to let herself get out of control, she wanted to make them suffer, make them pay. They stumbled back, seeming to sense her mood change.

_I am not a monster. I am not a monster. I am _not_ a _monster!

"Just go," She whispered, broken.

Angela and Mikage hadn't realized how terribly they treated her until after they left. They hadn't meant to destroy Carly so much, but it just happened. They both cast glances at the mournful girl and obeyed, fleeing as quickly as they could.

It was a curse to be so powerful. She hated it, she hated every second because there would always be the people like Mikage and Angela who didn't bother trying to understand her. They'd try and make her life miserable, and maybe they should.

Maybe she was a monster.

"Dear girl, why are you crying?"

Carly's head jerked up, brow crinkling in confusion as she wiped her face dully, though the water didn't stop pouring out of her eyes. "I- don't you know who I am?" She questioned.

The lady in front of her was so beautiful, Carly couldn't help but admire her. Long, jet black hair trailed down her back, and her eyes... they just pierced her, despite the kindness lying in them. And when she started to laugh, Carly wondered how someone's giggling could sound so mature and innocent at the same time.

"Of course I do, why do you think I'm here?"

Carly frowned, gesturing that she didn't know what the woman was talking about. "My name is Misty, and I'm your Fairy Godmother."

_Fairy Godmother?_

Now, Carly was the one to laugh. "Aren't you supposed to be... old?"

"It's godmother, not grandmother," Misty said, her tone indicating that she'd gone through this several times. "Anywho, I see you want to go to the ball, but those witches ruined your chances."

Any happiness Carly might have had restored vanished. "I don't belong there. I don't belong anywhere," She said bitterly.

"Don't say that," Misty chided gently. "You belong where you feel happy."

Carly shook her head, desperate to make Misty understand. "I don't _deserve_ to be happy. Did you see what I almost did to them?"

Impatiently, Misty waved a hand in the air. "Yes, _almost_. Anyone else would have hurt them, maybe even killed them, but you didn't. You will go to the ball tonight, and you will have a good time," she commanded.

Carly opened her mouth to argue, but Misty waved a wand that appeared out of thin air. "Bippity-boppity-boo!" She said.

Misty really hated those silly words, but she'd utter them for Carly, a sweet, misunderstood girl.

Then it was just... magic. Glitter seemed to swirl in the air, around Carly and other things. Misty was swaying back and forth to some tune in her head, moving her wand in sync with her movements, shimmering streams coating everything in sight.

Carly glanced down to see a beautiful dress on her, the prettiest white with blue undertones shimmering beautifully. The skirts were full, but not so full that she could trip or something else equally embarrassing. Her white gloves covered her Mark and seemed to add to the effect her dress was creating.

She looked around, eyes widening as she saw all the things around her transforming. A huge carousel appeared, looking remarkably like a pumpkin. Tiny mice were becoming gorgeous white stallions, and Ruka appeared, holding the reins. She winked at her friend, and Carly giggled, feeling exceptionally giddy.

"All this...?" She breathed as things finally stopped transforming.

Misty only smiled secretively. "Your chariot awaits."

Carly climbed in, sitting on the plush seats, knowing at once she'd be riding comfortably. "Oh, thank you so much!" Carly exclaimed, lifting a hand to Misty to wave goodbye.

Misty nodded. "You're welcome, but..." She paused, biting her lip. "The magic ends at midnight, so you'll have to be back by then."

Carly smiled. "You got it."

* * *

When Carly stepped out of the chariot, her mouth opened a bit. The castle was something else. It was enormous for one thing, constructed entirely of lavish white marble. The architecture was complex to be interesting, but not overwhelmingly so.

And all the people there... they were dressed up, wearing every color imaginable. None of them looked familiar, which was a relief, and she was once more grateful for the elbow length gloves she wore.

Her hair had somehow gotten done up, and she self-consciously touched the princess bun on top of her head. People were glancing at her, and she realized in shock what they were saying about her.

They called her beautiful. Beautiful, something she always longed to be but thought she could never achieve. _Thank you, Misty..._

"Good luck!" Ruka called out, and Carly nodded in her direction.

She wandered up to the front gate of the castle. Nobody questioned her being there, they didn't ask to see an invitation or anything which was good because Carly forgot to bring hers. They waved her in before directing her to the ballroom.

Carly walked through the huge double doors, made of some kind of polished wood and for the umpteenth time that night, her jaw dropped. The room was so stunning, with little glass globes dangling from the ceiling, the light reflecting off them and other crystal fixtures throughout the room.

But then, she didn't know what to do. She'd never been invited to the local balls in her hometown, so she didn't know how to act or who to talk to. She frowned, biting her lip.

A few men were nervously approaching other women, asking them to dance. The women would smile prettily and graciously accept the outstretched hand before being whisked away in a dance of complicated maneuvers.

Carly was asked to dance a few times, but she always politely told them she wasn't sure how to dance. They would always frown and walk away, like she'd committed some kind of social disgrace.

She stood there awkwardly until the music stopped playing for a brief moment while someone announced that the band would be taking a break. Carly flinched because the sound was particularly loud until she realized it was because she was _right there._

Right next to the king and queen. She almost passed out.

She heard the two conversing, and after awhile she gathered that it was because Prince Jack was absent from the ball. She frowned, wondering what kind of a person ditches their own party.

Carly shook her head before deciding to explore, always being inquisitive. She inspected the punch bowls, critiqued the hanging paintings, and walked out a pair of French doors out onto a balcony.

She stared, awestruck. She could see everything from so high up, she could even make out what looked to be her town. The forests and fields all looked especially lush and green, and the stars glittered off the palace garden. Was there anything about this place that wasn't so beautiful?

Jack stared through the door at the girl outside. She was quite pretty, if in an unconventional way. Long, straight black hair, razor cut bangs, and strange glasses covering her eyes. But it didn't matter if she was beautiful or not, because she was intruding on his spot, the place where he could go to be alone. His parents must have forgotten to bar the door.

"What are you doing here?" Jack demanded. Carly whirled around, adjusting her glasses in the process. "Don't you know you should be inside?"

Jack knew he shouldn't be yelling so much. He was raised to be the perfect gentleman, despite the fact that it wasn't something that came naturally to him. In fact, he was typically quite abrasive and stand-offish, and the hurt expression on the girl's face indicated he was being rude. So, he attempted in a more polite tone, "The ball is through those doors, it doesn't continue out here." Still too harsh.

She blinked a few times before humbly muttering, "I didn't know, I'll be leaving now." She couldn't help but think it was wrong for a man so cruel to be so handsome. Carly tore her gaze away.

She turned to pass through the French doors, tossing over her shoulder, "You don't need to be so mean!" Carly thought that for this one night, she could escape it all. She thought the taunts and insults would be left behind, but obviously she was wrong.

"Do you know who I am? I can act however I want!" He retorted at the retreating girl who paused and turned back around.

She did her best to glower at him, which would have worked much better if he could see her pitch-black eyes. "Oh really? Who's so important that they can treat other people badly?"

"Maybe the prince is," He shot back at her, watching in satisfaction as her pretty face contorted in surprise.

Carly tried to think of a way to undo what she did because she knew it wasn't appropriate to talk to royalty that way. "Forgive me." She told him formally, though it sounded stiff because she really _wasn't_ sorry.

Just because he was a prince didn't mean he had any right to treat her so unkindly.

Jack knew she didn't mean her apology, and the thought brought a smirk to his lips. Usually that was his trump card. There were a few girls like her, ones that accused him of being a bit of a jerk, but when he told them he was the prince, he was forgiven. It seemed though, that this one was not so eager to cave. "I suppose I should make it up to you by offering a dance."

Carly bit her lip. She wanted to dance with him, but at the same time, she didn't. He wasn't nice to her, so why should she? But how could she refuse a handsome prince? "I..." She started to turn him down, but then thought back on Mikage and Angela's words earlier. She pouted and finished, "Fine. I guess."

He blinked in surprise. She should have been _ecstatic _but it seemed like she hadn't wanted to accept. She was an anomaly. "You don't have to," He said lazily, a bit of a smirk crossing his lips.

She debated backing out now, but she couldn't bring herself to. What if she committed some kind of a social and/or political disgrace? "I want to!"

"Of course you do."

Carly frowned, wondering how someone could possibly be so arrogant. He had reason to though, if going only by looks and power alone, but that was completely beside the point. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He chuckled at her naivety. "All girls want to dance with me."

"I don't!" She protested angrily.

He was grinning now, utterly amused by the delicate flush of color spreading over her cheeks. "You just said you did."

She snorted, unaware of how that was kind of gross and unappealing. Not that it really mattered, he was just a stupid prince that didn't mean anything to her. "Well, I was only trying to make you feel better. Shouldn't you be back at your ball, finding some girl to charm and wed?"

Jack's trademark scowl was back. "I came out here to do the opposite," he growled at her, watching in mild satisfaction as she flinched back in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

He glared at her, wondering how she could be so dense. "I don't want to marry, or I would have by now. This whole thing is being thrown against my will, and I absolutely loathe it."

His purple eyes were shimmering with conviction, and Carly knew he was being truthful. "But why? So many girls would love to marry you!" She blurted out, feeling her cheeks flush.

Carly used to be one of those girls that thought a prince - like Jack- could sweep her off her feet, away from the terrible people in her town to a kingdom away from all bad things. But now, she knew that could never happen.

"I know they would, but why would I want to marry them? They don't care about me, only my kingdom. And I don't care about them." He knew he should stop talking, stop saying anything that could be held against him, but he just knew he could trust this girl. "I don't care about anyone but myself."

Carly's eyes were wide at the end of his rant. Slowly, she stammered, "But-but you could do so much!"

He eyed her warily. "What do you mean?"

"You're a figurehead, you could help people that need it. Towns like mine could look up to you, someone who's eye-catching and has the potential to be good with words and plead their cases before the king and queen... you could be the hero of all kinds of villages if you cared about the people who trust you," As she spoke, her words grew louder and more passionate.

Maybe if someone like Jack would set the example and be kind instead of as closed off and downright rude, his kingdom would follow.

He shook his head. "But It doesn't have anything to do with being married," He dodged. He was surprised that she was so interested in helping other people, it wasn't something very common in that day and age. "I don't want to marry anyone that my parents would approve of."

"Then don't marry someone your parents will approve of! Marry someone you care about so you can start caring about others," She told him, purely exasperated.

She knew she wasn't thinking clearly, so she glanced at his eyes again. There was something similar to sorrow and regret, like he understood her point, but also something defeated, like it didn't matter how right she was. "That's why this ball is going on," She whispered softly, "It isn't so your parents will expand their kingdom, or they'd have married you to a princess. They just want you to be happy. And when you're happy, you can become a whole different person, one who helps others."

Astonishment was not something Jack felt often, but at that moment, he was floored. "That isn't true."

"Just because you can't love someone doesn't mean it's the same way for them," She murmured.

He wasn't quite as closed off as he was toward the beginning of their conversation, and she could see that there was something so _good_ about him, something honest and raw, just waiting to be unearthed. It put a demure smile on her face as she tipped her head up at him.

Jack couldn't look at her when she was being like this. Too kind to him. A girl so sweet didn't need to be talking to someone who was cold and bitter. "You're just trying to be difficult."

"_I'm_ trying to be difficult?" She asked him incredulously, getting close to his face. "You're the one arguing with everything I'm saying!" Though she was surprised to find she didn't mean it. She felt only sympathy for this poor man.

"Because you aren't making any sense, you foolish girl!" He snapped at her.

Carly set her jaw and wondered how someone could be so unbelievably frustrating, and more importantly, why she felt _attracted_ to someone so impossibly annoying. "You're so... ugh!" She shouted in his face.

He studied her. She wasn't as pretty up close. Her nose was too small, lips a bit too full, bangs unevenly cut, and there was something off about... He ripped the frames off her face, ignoring her protests. "Your eyes," He said flatly.

She lifted a hand, trying to take the glasses back. "Please, give them back," She begged self-consciously.

"What's wrong with you?" He whispered, sounding almost horrified, though he knew he shouldn't. "Wait... I know."

After all, he'd seen them before. That one distinguishable feature was one that was uncommon, but not unheard of.

Carly jolted back, wondering why the words stung so much. He hadn't said the words cruelly, he just sounded confused, then determined, and it just ruined everything. They were having a genuine, serious conversation, then moving into a much lighter bantering, almost as though they were a strange sort of friends, and now he knew.

He knew what she was.

She tore away from him, ignoring the fact that he was telling her to wait and she ran inside the ballroom. The king and queen were making an announcement, saying it was almost midnight and Jack would soon be declaring his new...

Midnight.

She took off running. How could she have been so _stupid_ to forget? She debated going back for her glasses, but she didn't have the time. She had to go, it was four minutes to midnight, and she wasn't even sure if the carousel would make it back home in time.

Carly jumped in the carriage and told Ruka, "Hurry, please!"

And hurry she did. The ride was so fast, everything out the window was blurry. She watched in fascination as the scenes whizzed by until finally, they came to a stop, right outside her home.

Suddenly, she felt lighter, and noticed her dress was replaced by her normal clothing. Ruka was still with her, but the carriage and horses vanished, returning to their normal states. "How was your night?" Ruka asked.

Carly wasn't quite sure how to answer that question. She had a good time with Jack, even if at the end things got to be kind of messy. "It was... interesting," She replied.

* * *

Jack was fighting with his parents. "She was here, but then she just left, I swear!"

Martha eyed her son warily. She wanted to believe him, that he really had met someone that he was possibly _considering_ marrying, but it just didn't make sense. Why hadn't Martha recalled seeing the girl? "Son, I know you don't want to get married but making up stories-"

"I'm not lying!" He interrupted furiously, slamming his fist down on the table. "I don't want to _marry_ anyone, not even her. I just want to see her again."

She stared at his face. He didn't seem to by lying, though with Jack it was usually hard to tell. Her gaze traveled down to his other hand, which was resting on his pocket. "What's that?"

He pulled out the frames once again, studying them as he had been for hours. Bull's eye glasses. "Her glasses."

"What's her name again?"

There was a slight pause before Jack glared at Martha. "I didn't ask for it."

Martha nodded as though she were expecting this type of response. "Right, well, if you can find her, and bring her here, then maybe I'll believe you. Get your friends to help you." She was being a bit sarcastic, but her son was serious.

Jack nodded before asking a servant to find Crow, Yusei, and Kiryu. The three men were supposed to be Jack's advisers, but the bond was deeper than that. They'd all been friends for a long time, and he knew they'd be happy to help him.

Minutes passed, and Jack shifted from foot to foot anxiously. He'd been cruel to the girl, the one girl who could have possibly meant something to him in the near future.

"What's going on?"

The blonde turned to his friends who had just arrived. "I need help."

"You're just figuring this out?" The carrot-top asked, his eyes lighting with mischief like they always did.

Yusei, the darker haired boy, just observed his friend. He seemed a bit distraught and very annoyed, but then, Jack was always annoyed about something since he had no control over his temper.

"I'm serious," Jack continued with a withering glance at Crow. "I need to find this girl."

There was a bit of silence before the last friend spoke up, a man with pale blue hair. "You found someone?"

"No. Not like that. I just need to apologize."

There was a more extended breach in talking before Crow slowly asked, "Wait. You... want to... apologize...?"

"Yes," Jack replied quickly, hating to admit that he was wrong. "And I think you," He said, turning to Kiryu, "Could probably help." When his friend lifted his eyebrows, Jack went on, "She's like you."

Kiryu smiled, almost secretively. He hadn't met many people like him, and he was glad not to. He hated to think of people living the same miserable life he did, and it wasn't anything he'd wish on others. "Ah. Where does she live?"

"Well, I don't know. And before you ask," He cut off Yusei, "I don't know her name. So we're going to have to search."

Crow was the first to agree to the plan. "Well, I'm all for it!" The rest of Jack's friends stated their agreement, and a genuine smile flickered across the blonde's face for a second.

* * *

Carly couldn't help but scowl as she thought about her encounters with the disgruntled prince. He was so confusing, so intriguing, and Carly shamelessly wanted to learn more about him. "Men..." She muttered and was answered with a slight giggle.

"How was the ball?" Ruka chirped, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Tell me everything!"

The blue-haired girl had to leave almost immediately after she saw Carly, so she hadn't gotten the chance to hear everything she wanted to know.

Carly giggled at the command before divulging all the details. She started with the grandeur of the whole place, then moved into the music. Finally, she got to Jack.

Ruka noticed that her friend spent an awful lot more time talking about the young man then she did anything else. She seemed frustrated but so happy at the same time, until she got to the end of her story. "And he just... I don't really know what he was thinking," Carly confessed.

Ruka bit her lip. "Well, I don't really know either, but I'm sure it's just fine."

The two continued to talk for awhile until there was a commotion coming from the direction of the town. They both shrugged before wiping their skirts and heading off into the direction of the noise.

"The prince!" Someone was shouting. "It's the prince!"

Carly froze before spinning on her foot, running to hide from him. She knew in the back of her mind that she shouldn't be doing this, but she couldn't bear to face him after what happened.

Ruka searched desperately for her friend, but she was nowhere in sight. So instead, she calmly walked to the town square and inquired what was going on. A man with spiky dark hair shot through with gold answered her, "My friend Prince Jack is looking for someone, though I think you're too young."

She shook her head. "I wasn't at the ball. I assume he's searching for the woman he intends to marry."

Yusei was surprised by the maturity of the girl and he smiled at her. "He probably will, though he claims that isn't his intention."

"May I ask who he's looking for?"

Yusei opened his mouth to reply, but then simply called Kiryu over. He walked toward them, and the sight of him stunned Ruka.

Strange, green grey irises were surrounded by black. His face was friendly, though Ruka's hand went to her mouth. "Do you know anyone who looks like me?" He rolled up his sleeves and asked, "Or has a similar tattoo?"

For a second, Ruka couldn't even reply, but eventually, she stammered, "Y-Yes!"

Both men smiled, before Yusei bellowed, "Jack! Crow! Over here!"

Within minutes, two more men arrived. Ruka scanned them over. They were both rather well built, though one of the men was taller than the other. He had blonde hair, intricately styled, clad in white with purple trim. The other was more simply dressed, with bright orange hair.

Then, the blonde spoke in an exasperated tone, "Are you blind, Yusei? She's just a girl, and she's not even-" He cut off, making a sound of irritation. They had been searching town after town, and he was beginning to get grumpy.

Kiryu rolled his dark eyes. "Calm down, Jack. She said she knows someone like me."

Before the prince answered, the man called Crow bent down to make himself at her eye level. "So, you know a woman that has dark eyes?" He seemed to be rather amused as he continued, "Because a lot of people have suddenly started showing up with purple Marks spray painted on and colored contacts."

Ruka shook her head. "She has long, black hair. About average height, maybe on the short side. She was wearing a blue-white dress, and gloves. Oh, and she wore glasses." The prince was watching in her sharp fascination, so she added, "Bull's eye glasses. Oh yes. And her name is Carly."

Everyone glanced at Jack who simply nodded and demanded, "Where can I find her?" Then he mouthed the word Carly and the smallest of smiles touched his lips.

"I'm not sure, but I can help you look," Ruka replied. She could have been bubbling over with excitement, but she was remarkably calm. She was, however, glad that her friend might have found some strange form of love, because that was the look in Jack's eyes when he realized she knew Carly.

* * *

Carly was watching out the window, almost wishing she could go out there. But she couldn't stand to be around so many people that hated her, especially if one of those people happened to be Jack.

She was about to let out a sigh when someone shrieked, "There she is!"

Carly almost growled and her Mark began pulsing. "Angela. Mikage," She spoke their names flatly and firmly wished them away.

"How do we look like you?" Angela asked sharply. "You're hideous and dreadful of course, but the prince doesn't seem to think so."

The dark-haired girl blinked before asking slowly, "Wh-what do you mean?"

Angela laughed fakely. "The prince must find _your kind_ amusing because he's looking for you. Or perhaps he's looking for you to tell you how wrong it was for him to spend a single second with someone as hopelessly _disgusting_ as you. I can see your hope in your unmasked eyes, but just give up, because he'll tire of you quickly, and I want to help him of that. Don't be happy, be upset because he could never love or care for someone like you. Someone with no _soul_."

Carly's eyes began to water toward the end of Angela's speech, and she felt the power surging through her. And when she began to speak, her voice was not her own. "You _dare_ to say such things?" She thundered.

She wanted to stop. But she just couldn't.

"You _dare_ to say such things!" Ascilla Piscu repeated.

She had to stop. She couldn't prove Angela right.

She did what she always did, after years of learning to control the spirit residing within her. She reminded herself of the things she wanted to live for, the things she couldn't bear to destroy in her unearthly anger.

And just like always, after a few seconds of warring with herself, her Mark stopped hurting as much and she sank to the floor, on her knees. "I..." She started, but didn't know what to say, so she merely stopped.

"Carly?" Someone was asking in disbelief. "Is that... but that can't be..."

Her head whipped toward the door, which was filled with Jack. "Yes, it is," She whispered, not bothering to ask how he'd found out her name. "She's right."

Angela had already ran out the door in terror, and the two were left alone. "It's not true," Jack protested weakly, almost like he wasn't sure what to believe.

"You don't believe that, and I don't either," She told him, not wasting any time. "You think I'm a demon, just like everybody else does."

He shook his head, more firmly this time. "_No_. That spirit is a monster, but you aren't."

He'd heard Yusei give this speech to Kiryu before, when he was in a friendship speech mood (which was quite often), and he was glad the words that seemed empty and pointless were rushing back to him. "You aren't like that. You _could_ have killed her, but you didn't."

"Who are you to know who I am and what I'm like?"

She wasn't expecting an answer, but she got one anyway. "I just know."

So she staggered up and hugged him. It wasn't something he was used to, and he instantly moved his hands to push her away, but he instead hugged her back hesitantly. She let go of him after a second, and she queried, "So why did you need to find me?"

"I meant to... give these to you."

Carly smiled when he pulled out the frames, she blushed. He _kept_ them. The thought came with a rush of bliss and she giggled and pulled them on, covering her eyes. "Thank you," She said formally.

"And... You should come stay at the palace for awhile."

Her mouth dropped, and she moved her hand up to cover it because it just wouldn't close. She was about to ask when he smoothly went on, "You need to get away from these people, spend time with Kiryu, someone like you."

She slowly started to nod. "And Ruka. The little girl has to come as well."

Jack nodded, and she wondered if that really just happened. Could she have really just been asked to stay with the royal family? With _Jack_? With someone she might be able to fall in love with?

"You can also spend time with me, since I know you'll want to do that. Everyone does."

Carly's skin flushed again at his implications, but said nothing in response to that. This was everything she could ever hope for. A home away from Angela and Mikage, a home that was absolutely beautiful, a home with a handsome prince...

All those years of taunting were worth it, just for this one moment.

Carly tipped her head toward him and murmured, "It's like a fairytale ending."

**(A/N) Man, I am so sorry this took so long! I've been working on it a lot, though, when I had the chance. And I know, I know, they fell in love really fast, and they might be kind of OOC but let's call it a bit of Disney magic and love at first sight all mixed into one ;)  
**

**By the way, I'm open for any and all suggestions you guys would like to offer!  
**


	17. Afterlife

**(A/N) Sorry about the ridiculously long wait! I could tell you about how the play I'm in has been absorbing a lot of my time, or how I've been getting a bunch of research assignments for school, or about how my personal life is really dramatic. But it really comes down to what inspires me the most when I _do_ have spare time to write, and unfortunately, this one has dropped pretty low on my list. So again, my apologies, but I'll try and do better about updating!  
**

**I'm not really sure if this is going to be confusing, but it's set after Carly and Jack's duel.**

Who am I?

It's almost funny, but I can't really remember. I know I have to be a person, I have to be something or I wouldn't have a soul. And I definitely have a soul or I wouldn't be anything, just atoms floating around. Maybe not even that.

Just from thinking, I seem to be an okay person, if I might say so myself! I know I'm overly-analytical about some things or I wouldn't be trying to figure out exactly what's going on. I know I have a kind heart because I'm wondering how my mom and dad are doing, and if they know what's happened (despite the fact that I'm not so sure what my own fate is).

What does all this mean?

It's just so weird, so confusing. I can string together thoughts perfectly, and I know that I used to live in a place very different from my current location. I have full recognition of what earth was like even if I don't know why I'm not there anymore.

I'm clearly separated from my physical body, but I'm not sure what caused this. Maybe I died and God just wasn't sure where to send me.

When did I arrive?

Time is strange. If I'm in some alternate dimension like as though I were in a sci-fi movie, time could be passing in a different way then time of earth. I could be spending years for ever second I'm sentenced here, or it could be the other way around.

I feel like I have a right to know what's happened in my time here. So many people could be dying, slipping away from me while I'm not even there to say my final farewells.

Why am I here?

I suppose I could have done something wrong. Maybe I've forgotten to pay off all my bills to the IRS and they're trying out some strange new punishment on me. And whatever sort of torture they're putting me through, it's _working._

How am I going to make it through this?

And that is the one question I can't seem to know the answer to._  
_

* * *

I've been here long enough to finally figure it out - I'm in limbo. Well, it's either that or purgatory, I could never distinguish a difference between the two. It isn't like it matters though, what matters is somehow getting _out_.

But how did I get here? I can't leave if I don't remember the entrance, though it's glaring me in the face and I just don't want to admit the truth. If I'm in limbo then-then... I must have died. Did I die?

Strange, I can't quite remember.I can remember other things though, like how Angela was always so mean to me in high school. And I remember the way my parents would always bring home cookies for me if I got all A's on my report card even though everyone else taunted me and called me a nerd.

Even though I can think, everything's gradually becoming so distant. Feelings are lost beyond me and my memories are just that: projections with no warmth or pain because I can't remember what it is to be a person. I'm just a mind. I'm starting to forget what it's like to taste, to smell. What were those things again?

Things so beyond my reach, why bother trying to recall them, it would be cruel to dangle something before my eyes that I just can't grasp. Yet, I still want to remember. To remember sensations means remembering being alive, something I want so incredibly badly. I know those feelings were wonderful, something I enjoyed from my previous life that I'm not living anymore. I wish I could experience those blessings.

If I can't remember what it's like to be alive, will I just cease to exist? Maybe this whole time I've been struggling, trying to cling to any type of life I have left.

Or maybe this is what I'll have to deal with for eternity.

* * *

Fade.

Everything was fading.

I tried to hold on, but I couldn't. I couldn't.

There wasn't anything there, just blackness.

Overpowering blackness.

Blackness that blotted out all other things.

Fade.

I was fading.

* * *

Something was calling me. I gave up fighting the darkness awhile back, or at least what felt like awhile back, but something was pulling me out. My world burst into light and suddenly I could see.

Someone needed me desperately. I was looking around, shifting my gaze that had suddenly been illuminated and I saw him.

I saw Jack. And there was this strange sort of connection between us. I could feel him.

I could _feel_ something. Because of _him_.

It was love. Love and gratitude because he gave me my soul back. I was bound by some overbearing darkness and evil, yet he was the light, my salvation.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not alone!"

_Never, ever alone, Jack. _

It was true, and I knew it. We'd never be alone again because whatever bond we shared wasn't able to be broken. It was real and true.

He shouted things with conviction and I felt myself growing in feeling. The fierce affection I felt for him spread to his friends, only by hearing the way he spoke of them. If they evoked that much emotion from him then certainly I could feel the same.

"No matter how much I deny it, I cannot escape from what's known as 'bonds!'"

_I don't want to escape this bond_.

"And what helped me understand that... was one woman's love!"

So our bond lived. I might not have been alive, but somethings are so powerful they can bridge even death.

I watched him, loaning him any strength I could have because I knew he would do the same for me.

He already was.

**(A/N) READ ME!**

**Wow, this was... weird. I'm not sure yet if I think it's good weird or bad weird :/ I definitely won't be offended if I get flamed for this one, haha.**

**So I was coming from the fact that Carly is a really good person who did really bad things that she couldn't help. What happens to someone like that?**

**Well, I thought it'd be something like this: but of course I had to add in a bit of Scoopshipping that I really hope wasn't overdone. I see it that Jack is her counterpart, the one who's good might be able to make up for her bad and bring her back to her former state.**

**Is this too spiritual? I really don't know. And if you're Catholic and I got the limbo thing wrong, my apologies. I researched a bit and this was what I came up with.**

**So, um, feedback? Not really sure if I want it, to be honest :P  
**


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